Greek election: New Democracy said to have narrow lead

By Euronews with REUTERS

Published on 17/09/2015 - 01:05

Greece’s conservative New Democracy party has for the first time edged ahead of leftist rival Syriza according to one poll. Although another still

Greece’s conservative New Democracy party has for the first time edged ahead of leftist rival Syriza according to one poll.

Although another still puts Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in the lead the consensus is that his popularity has slipped and that Sunday’s election race is now neck and neck.

New Democracy leader Vangelis Meimarakis told euronews why:

“Greece has changed, we changed too. Mr. Tsipras lied a lot last January. Nine months ago Greece had a fiscal surplus and the prospect of growth was in sight. Now the country is back in the red with high deficit and high unemployment. Investments have gone, because Mr. Tsipras ousted them.”

The austerity-driven despair felt by many Greek voters has produced a rise in support for the far-right Golden Dawn.

Its leader Nikos Michaloliakos is presenting the party as the only nationalist choice with the result that it’s polling in third place. Its significance lies in the fact if neither of the two main parties win a majority the third place party will be given an exploratory mandate by the president to see if they can form a government.

Polls

Skai TV:
New Democracy 30%
Syriza 29.5%

ProRata poll:
Syriza 28.0
New Democracy 24.0
Golden Dawn 5.5%

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