Samaras pleads for clear majority but poll shows ND support waning
New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras has made a fresh plea to voters to give his part a clear majority at the upcoming elections, as a new opinion polls indicates that the conservatives? lead is shrinking.
Speaking to Sunday?s Kathimerini, Samaras said that if New Democracy could form a government on its own, as prime minister he would have a stronger negotiating position abroad and his administration would be in a better position to make changes at home.
?Untie my hands so I can govern,? Samaras said in a message directed at voters ahead of the parliamentary elections likely to take place on May 6.
However, a new poll by Public Issue for Sunday?s Kathimerini suggests that support for New Democracy is dwindling. The survey has the conservatives leading on 22.5 percent but that is 2.5 percent less than they polled in the first half of March.
New Democracy would likely need to gain more than 35 percent to have any chance of a clear parliamentary majority.
Support for PASOK, on the other hand, rose from 11 percent to 15.5 percent following the election of former finance minister Evangelos Venizelos as party leader.
The Public Issue poll suggests that PASOK has won back some of the support it lost to Democratic Left as the leftist party saw its backing drop from 15.5 percent to 12, which is the same as the Communist Party (KKE).
The Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) rose slightly to overtake both of them with 12.5 percent.
The right-wing nationalist of Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) saw their popularity drop from 4 percent to 2 percent, which would leave the party with no parliamentary seats.
In contrast, the newly formed Independent Greeks, led by New Democracy outcast Panos Kammenos, have gained even more support. According to the poll, their backing rose from 6.5 percent to 8.5 in just two weeks.
In his interview with Sunday?s Kathimerini, Samaras pledged that as prime minister he would not seek to raise taxes to help find the 12 billion euros of savings that the troika has demanded for 2013 and 2014.
He said that he would also make an effort to ensure that pensions are not reduced again.
