SYRIZA leading New Democracy conservatives, two polls show

Greece’s left SYRIZA opposition is leading New Democracy conservatives according to two opinion polls published Saturday.

One poll, by Kappa research for To Vima on Sunday newspaper, puts support for SYRIZA at 26.6 percent ahead of ND’s 25.7 percent. Extreme right Golden Dawn is third in line with 13 percent, followed by PASOK socialists with 8.8 percent, Independent Greeks with 5.7 percent, the KKE Communist Party with 6.4 percent and Democratic Left with 4.8 percent.

PASOK and Democratic Left are junior partners in the country’s conservative-led coalition government.

On the issue of who would be the most suitable political leader for the position of prime minister, coalition leader and current Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who also heads the conservative party, was voted by 44.1 percent of those participating in the opinion poll, followed by SYRIZA chief Alexis Tsipras with 31.8 percent. Twenty-three percent said they trust neither.

Meanwhile, slightly more than 70 percent of respondents said they are in favor of Greece’s eurozone membership, according to the same survey. Almost 59 percent said the current government should be given more time.

A separate poll by Metron Analysis for Eleftherotypia on Sunday shows SYRIZA in first place with 25.8 percent, pushing ND into second place at 25.2 percent. The Metron survey also puts Golden Dawn at third place with 11.7 percent, followed by PASOK with 9 percent and Independent Greeks with 8.5 percent. Democratic Left is backed by 6.3 percent, less than a percentage point ahead of KKE’s 5.5 percent.

At 29 percent, Samaras features as the most suitable leader for premier against Tsipras’s 13 percent.

Both newspapers circulated on Saturday because of Greece’s national holiday on March 25.