Poll: Conservatives lead with 8% over main opposition
The ruling center-right New Democracy party maintains a steady lead of 8 percentage points over the opposition, according to a Pulse poll conducted for Skai TV on July 11-13 and published on Thursday.
The survey of voting intention gave ND 34%, ahead of SYRIZA (26%), PASOK-KINAL (13%), communist KKE (5.5%), nationalist Hellenic Solution (4%) and radical left MeRA25 (3%).
The poll shows a preference for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis over SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras in terms of suitability for the role. In this category, Mitsotakis enjoys an 11 point lead, with the PM scoring 39% against 28% for Tsipras. Another 30% answered “neither.”
Soaring prices, the survey showed, are the predominant issue on the minds of respondents. The expenses they are most concerned about are electricity (36%), food and fuel (22% each), followed by natural gas at 6%. A comparison with earlier surveys shows that there has been a reduction since March in the concern about spending on electricity from 45% to 36% and on natural gas from 20% to 6%, presumably due to a reduction in consumption for heating.
However, concern over fuel prices has increased from 12% to 22% and on food expenditure from 13% to 22%.
Tellingly, the poll showed that concern about spending on food is in second place behind electricity among people who describe their economic situation as difficult or very difficult.
Those who consider their economic situation to be comfortable or moderate put fuel in second place behind food.
As for when national elections should take place, 47% of voters favor them being held near the end of the government’s term next spring, while 42% favor holding them in 2022.
Concerns about Turkey’s behavior seem to be easing, with 56% saying they are very or quite worried compared to 66% in the previous survey by the same company.
