March 27, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The governing party of Greece has slightly increased its public support this month, according to a poll by Metron Analysis. 29.2 per cent of respondents would back the New Democracy (ND) party in the next legislative election, up 1.6 points since January.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The governing party of Greece has slightly increased its public support this month, according to a poll by Metron Analysis. 29.2 per cent of respondents would back the New Democracy (ND) party in the next legislative election, up 1.6 points since January.

The opposition Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) is second with 25.2 per cent, followed by the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYR) with 17.8 per cent—up 10 points in two months—the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) with 6.8 per cent, the People’s Orthodox Alarm (LAOS) with 4.8 per cent, and the Ecologist Greens (OP) with 1.1 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 George 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.

The government’s plans to overhaul what it calls an "unsustainable pension system" are facing a major challenge from Greece’s unions, who have led numerous strikes over the past few weeks.

On Mar. 20, Spyros Papaspyros, president of the civil servants’ umbrella union ADEDY—one of the major strike organizers—assured that the movement against the reforms is strong, saying, "The participation in the strike is total. We are talking about millions. (...) The government must not underestimate this public outrage."

Polling Data

What party would you support in the next parliamentary election?

	Mar. 2008	Jan. 2008	Nov. 2006
New Democracy (ND)	29.2%	27.6%	34.6%
Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK)	25.2%	26.1%	31.4%
Coalition of the Radical Left (SYR)	17.8%	7.8%	5.3%
Communist Party of Greece (KKE)	6.8%	7.3%	7.2%
People’s Orthodox Alarm (LAOS)	4.8%	4.1%	3.9%
Ecologist Greens (OP)	1.1%	1.6%	1.3%

Source: Metron Analysis
Methodology: Interviews with 2,207 Greek adults, conducted from Feb. 27 to Mar. 14, 2008. Margin of error is 2.2 per cent.