Greek snap election: Conservative New Democracy could be surprise winner as opinion polls show support for Syriza falling
Greece’s upcoming election could be a surprisingly uncomfortable affair for ruling Syriza, as several opinion polls suggest conservative New Democracy could be the wild card winner.
Could pro-European Vangelis Meimarakis become the next Greek prime minister? As the snap election draws nearer, the centre-right party New Democracy is emerging as a real headache for left-wing Syriza.
Three separate opinion polls published this weekend had the party less than 0.5 per cent behind Syriza, suggesting that the vote is too close to call.
A fourth gave Syriza a lead of just one per cent.
This marks quite a shift from the election results in January, when Syriza secured over 36 per cent of the vote, falling just two seats short of an absolute majority.
In the same election, voters punished then-ruling New Democracy. The party lost almost half of its seats – but after the turmoil of the past months, it seems the party is out of the doghouse.
Greece’s snap election, called by former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras before stepping down, will be held on 20 September.