Poll shows drop in SYRIZA’s, ND’s popularity

The percentage of Greeks who would vote for the ruling coalition of leftist SYRIZA and right-wing Independent Greeks has dropped to 20 percent from 35.5 percent in the September general elections, a new public opinion poll has found.

The poll, conducted on December 15 and 16 by ProRata for I Efimerida ton Syntakton newspaper, also saw the popularity of the main opposition New Democracy party decline to 19 percent from 28 percent, as the conservative party seeks to elect a new president in a leadership race marked by party divisions and an IT blunder in the first round that scuppered the vote last month.

Ultranationalist Golden Dawn continued to poll in third place with 6.5 percent, a small drop from its performance in September’s general elections, where it garnered 6.95 percent of the vote.

The Greek Communist Party (KKE) saw its popularity inch up to 6 percent from 5.6 percent in September, the poll found, while socialist PASOK dropped to 4 percent from 6.27 percent, followed by centrist To Potami (down to 2.5 percent from September’s 3.67), Independent Greeks (2 percent from 3.7) and the Union of Centrists (3 percent from 3.40 percent).

However, 30.1 percent of respondents answered “don’t know/won’t answer” when asked which party they would vote for if elections were held now.