ND and PASOK still flagging in polls
Eight in 10 Greeks believe their country is headed in the wrong direction and continue to express only moderate support for the country’s two largest political parties, according to a new Public Issue poll. Conducted July 1-3, the poll indicates that there is growing dissatisfaction with New Democracy and PASOK. Just over half of the 1,000 respondents said neither party was capable of resolving the country’s problems. The conservatives still lead the Socialists in popularity, with 34.5 percent of respondents saying they would vote for the former and 31 percent for the latter. But support for the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), the Communist Party and the Popular Orthodox Rally remains at an all-time high with 18, 8 and 5 percent respectively. The figures represent a drop of 7.5 percent for New Democracy and 7 percent for PASOK since last September’s general elections. Instead, support for SYRIZA, which respondents deem the most effective opposition party, has risen from 5 to 18 percent. Despite the rough ride his party is having, Costas Karamanlis remains by far the most popular leader for the role of prime minister, even though 54 percent of voters view SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras in a positive light in comparison to 52 percent for Karamanlis.
