March 08, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Two-in-five Greek adults are satisfied with prime minister Kostas Karamanlis of the New Democracy (ND) party, according to a poll by Kapa Research. 41.2 per cent of respondents prefer Karamanlis as head of government, while 19.3 per cent would rather have opposition leader George Papandreou of the Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK).

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Two-in-five Greek adults are satisfied with prime minister Kostas Karamanlis of the New Democracy (ND) party, according to a poll by Kapa Research. 41.2 per cent of respondents prefer Karamanlis as head of government, while 19.3 per cent would rather have opposition leader George Papandreou of the Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK).

Alexis Tsipras of the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYR) is third with 13.2 per cent, followed by George Karatzaferis of the People’s Orthodox Alarm (LAOS) with 4.7 per cent, and Aleka Papariga of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) with 2.4 per cent.

In the March 2004 election, Kostas Karamanlis led the ND to victory, securing 165 seats in the Greek Parliament. PASOK had administered the government since January 1996. Current PASOK leader Papandreou served as foreign minister under Kostas Simitis.

Greek voters renewed their Parliament in September 2007. Final results gave Karamanlis a second term in office, with 41.84 cent of the vote and 152 seats in the 300-member legislature. PASOK finished second, with 38.10 per cent and 102 lawmakers. In November, Papandreou defeated Evangelos Venizelos and Kostas Skandalidis in a special PASOK leadership ballot.

On Mar. 3, workers at Greece’s Central Bank went on strike, forcing the government to close its stock and bond markets the following day. The bank’s employees joined other public workers—including the biggest union at Greece’s electricity company Public Power Corp. (PPC)—in a protest against proposed pension reforms.

Spyros Capralos, the stock exchange’s head, called the situation a "blow below the belt," adding that the strike is "very bad for the Greek capital market and for the image of Greece abroad."

Polling Data

Who would you prefer as prime minister?

Kostas Karamanlis (ND)	41.2%
George Papandreou (PASOK)	19.3%
Alexis Tsipras (SYR)	13.1%
George Karatzaferis (LAOS)	4.7%
Aleka Papariga (KKE)	2.4%
Undecided	19.3%

Source: Kapa Research
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 6,379 Greek voters, conducted from Feb. 19 to Feb. 22, 2008. No margin of error was provided.