September polling from the University of Macedonia (PAMAK) for Greece’s Skai TV was released last night and there are rays of hope for the ruling Syriza administration as they cut their deficit to the opposition New Democracy (ND) by five percentage points.

PAMAK’s last poll was in June, and after a summer of brightening economic news, including a return to international bond markets, the leftist government of Alexis Tsipras will take a little comfort from these improved voting intention figures. However the centre-right ND still holds an enormous 13-point lead – in an electoral system that awards a 50-seat bonus to the largest party.

 

 

As the chart above shows there is little change among the smaller forces. The exception is the socialists of PASOK and their Democratic Left (DIMAR) allies who move up 1.5 points compared to June. Syriza’s coalition partners, the right-wing nationalists of ANEL, are still polling at 2 per cent, below the 3 per cent threshold required to enter parliament. ANEL has been hit by a number of controversies in recent months.

 

SKAI/PAMAK 25 September
Voting intentions, per cent
(Change on 26 June poll in brackets)

Nea Dimokratia (New Democracy) 30.5 (-2.5)
Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left) 17.5 (+2.5)
Dimokratiki Symparataxi (PASOK/DIMAR) 7.5 (+1.5)
Chrysi Avyi (Golden Dawn) 7.0 (nc)
KKE (Communist Party of Greece) 6.5 (-1.0)
Enosi Kentroon (Union of Centrists) 2.0 (-0.5)
ANEL (Independent Greeks) 2.0 (nc)
To Potami (The River) 1.0 (-1.0)
Others 10.0 (+1.5)

Don’t Know / No Response 16.0 (-0.5)

Fieldwork: 20.09-22.09.2017. Published: 25.09.2017. Participants: 1025. Method: Telephone poll. Full report and graphics here.