ND can’t relax, even with big poll lead

Five days before it takes place, the European Parliament election, at least in Greece, reveals two paradoxes.

While every poll shows the ruling center-right New Democracy far ahead, a commanding majority of citizens say, in successive opinion polls, that they are not satisfied with the government’s performance.

And, while they are coasting to a comfortable victory, New Democracy officials are fretting about voter leaks, mostly to their right, and the possibility that the party may end up significantly below the 33.12% it achieved in the last Euro election, on May 26, 2019. And they keep warning against the perils of abstention, while fearing it could dip significantly below the 41.3% recorded in 2019 or the 46.3% registered in the last national election, in June 2023.

A question in an opinion poll published Monday by research firm Opinion Poll asked about which opposition party is more effective: 43.1% responded “none” followed at some distance by main opposition SYRIZA (14.1%) and populist right Greek Solution (11.9%), with the rest stuck in single figures.

ND and Mitsotakis himself have benefited from this perception, as well as being perceived as the lesser evil. But, the longer ND rules, the likelier is this advantage will wane.

On the issue of angry voters, ND officials are looking especially close at two regions: Thessaly and Western Macedonia. In previous elections up to June 2023, ND had swept all eight regional units comprising both regions. Then, Thessaly was devastated by severe flooding last September and the incumbent ND governor was ousted.

In Western Macedonia, a dissident conservative rode to victory on locals’ concerns that the end of production of highly polluting lignite, or brown coal, would hurt jobs. ​​​​​​SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis published his wealth declaration on Monday during a speech in Thessaloniki. A table with his financial records appeared in a video wall next to the stage.

According to the data he presented, his total income for 2023 amounts to $2,067,139.00. Kasselakis was based in Miami.

“I did not deceive you, my left [ideology] is not in my wallet, but in my soul,” he added.

Of course, this public presentation does not count as a formal submission. And political opponents will start dissecting the figures.