Poll puts conservatives ahead of ruling SYRIZA by 14 points

Conservative New Democracy’s lead over ruling SYRIZA has expanded to 14 points, according to the first opinion poll published since the Greece’s main political rivals appeared at the Thessaloniki International Fair earlier this month.

According to the Metron Analysis survey, conducted for  Ta Nea newspaper’s weekend edition, Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s conservatives would get 36.7 percent of the vote if elections were held now, versus 22.7 percent for Alexis Tsipras’s left-wing SYRIZA.

An 8.8 percent of respondents said they would vote for Democratic Alignment (leadership elections for a new center-left party will be held in November).

Support for neo-Nazi Golden Dawn was at 7.3 percent, slightly ahead of the Greek Communist Party’s (KKE) 7.1 percent.

The Union of Centrists was on 3.4 percent, while coalition partners Independent Greeks (ANEL), the To Potami centrists and the anti-bailout Sailing for Freedom and Popular Union would not get enough votes to enter Parliament.

The survey found that Mitsotakis is considered the most suitable candidate for prime minister by 25 percent of respondents against 13 percent who endorsed Tsipras – 43 percent said neither.