Metron Analysis poll: Gap between ruling ND, opposition SYRIZA at 10.2% points

The latest Metron Analysis, presented and analyzed on the prime-time newscast of Athens-based Mega TV on Thursday evening, shows a slight decline of support for the conservative New Democracy (ND) government, as well as rising concerns by respondents over the state of the economy, particularly inflation.

At the same, results show that main opposition SYRIZA party, the government’s leftist rival, appears unable to capitalize from the ruling party’s slide. Instead, results point to the existence of a still robust “anti-SYRIZA” front and mostly negative views of the party’s leader and former prime minister, Alexis Tsipras.

Specifically, asked which party they would vote for if elections were held on the coming Sunday, 28.9 percent of respondents picked ND, a figure down by 0.4 percentage points from the previous month’s poll by the same firm. SYRIZA is given 20.9 percent, a mere 0.2-percentage-point increase from the previous month, leaving the ruling party with an 8-percentage-point lead over the latter.

PASOK-KINAL is given 11.3 percent (11.9 percent in October 2022).

All three lesser parties currently represented in Parliament are also shown as exceeding 3 percent – the figure needed to enter the legislature as a percentage of valid votes in a general election.

The figure for the undecided vote is 12.4 percent.

In extrapolating the results, and without calculating the undecided/NA/abstention portion of results, ND is forecast at 36.5 percent, and 26.3 percent for SYRIZA, meaning that the difference between the two parties – according to Metron Analysis – hovers at 10.2 percentage points.

Ruling ND would be close to forming a government without a coalition partner if these poll results actually materialize at the ballot box. The lowest figure forecast for ND – based on this month’s poll results – is 33.9 percent, and the highest is 39.1 percent; 23.9 percent and 28.7 percent for SYRIZA; 12.3 percent and 16.1 percent for PASOK-KINAL.
Asked who they believe will win the next general election, regardless of their preference, 68 percent picked ND – three percentage points higher than October – and 18 forecast a SYRIZA victory.

Asked who is most suitable for prime minister, incumbent Kyriakos Mitsotakis is picked by 37 percent of respondents, against 17 percent for Alexis Tsipras. The latter are the two main contenders.

Beyond Greek politics, 72 percent of respondents said they opposed Russia in its war with Ukraine – one percentage point higher than in the previous month – with only 16 percent in favor.

Asked about Greek-Turkish relations, 65 percent of respondents said the situation will worsen; 26 said relations will improve.

One interesting question asked by Metron Analysis was the following: “Image a world like a city, protected within a castle, and surrounded by a desert. There are people who are inside the castle and protected, and people outside (the castle) and left unprotected. Where would you say you are located: Inside or outside the castle?”

In response, 52 percent of respondents picked “outside the castle”, with 45 percent saying “inside”.