New Democracy retains lead before election
As Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis make their last campaign push ahead of Sunday’s snap election, a new opinion poll by Pulse for Skai shows ND holding a firm 8-percentage point lead over leftist SYRIZA.
The poll, conducted on a sample of 1,206 voters on June 2 and 3, found that 36 percent plan to vote for ND and 28 percent for SYRIZA with 7 percent backing center-left Movement for Change (KINAL), 5 percent the Communist Party, 4 percent neo-Nazi Golden Dawn, 3 percent supporting the MeRA25 party of former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, and another 3 percent the nationalist, pro-Russian Greek Solution.
Based on Pulse’s survey, ND would get an absolute majority with 155 MPs, assuming all those parties enter Parliament, and 159 MPs if one of the smaller parties fails to enter the House.
The poll also found that the overwhelming majority of those declaring their intention to vote for the first three parties – between 92 and 94 percent – were absolutely certain about their choice.
Neither Mitsotakis nor Tsipras are taking any chances. Both have stressed the importance of turnout, urging voters not to assume the result is a given and cast their ballots.
The ND leader wants voters to give him a “strong mandate” to put his program into effect, introducing tax cuts and spurring investment.
“Now is the time for responsibility, rallying together and participation,” he told supporters in Thiseio, central Athens, on Thursday. As for his cabinet, Mitsotakis has already decided on many of its members, including non-politicians and technocrats, Kathimerini understands.
In the opposite camp, although Tsipras insists that he is gearing for victory, behind-the-scenes discussions are focusing on how SYRIZA can keep defeat manageable. The goal is 30 percent but certainly no less than 25 percent, bouncing back from the 23.5 percent in European elections. Falling lower would throw SYRIZA into turmoil and seems to be Tsipras’ key fear.
Public Issue’s “political barometer,” released on Thursday, forecasts ND will win with a resounding 42.5 percent against 27 percent for SYRIZA. That poll sees ND winning 173 seats if five parties enter Parliament, 169 seats in a six-party House and 165 seats in a seven-party House
