The ruling New Democracy Conservatives of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras continue to maintain a narrow edge over the major opposition Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) part in the latest poll, which pretty much mirrors the last couple that found the leftists aren’t gaining ground despite a drumbeat of opposition to unpopular austerity measures.
The Pulse poll, conducted on behalf of the weekly To Pondiki newspaper, puts New Democracy at 20 percent, up 0.5 percent from April. SYRIZA is in second on 19.5 percent, which is almost 0.5 percent lower than the previous survey. Given the margin of error, they are essentially tied.
The neo-Nazis of Golden Dawn are third with 13 percent, followed by PASOK on 6 percent, the Communist Party (KKE) with 5.5, Independent Greeks with 4, and Democratic Left (DIMAR) on 3.5 percent, barely above the 3 percent threshold needed to win seats in Parliament.
PASOK and Democratic Left are both members of the country’s power-sharing administration and taking a beating for supporting pay cuts, tax hikes and slashed pensions on the orders of international lenders.
Asked who is the best choice for premier, 30 percent voted for Samaras and 20 percent for SYRIZA chief Alexis Tsipras while 46 percent said neither are suitable for the job, perhaps the most troubling statistic for both of them.
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