Greek Opposition Party Moves Ahead of Ruling Party, Poll Shows

Bloomberg
June 12, 2011

Greece’s biggest opposition party moved ahead of the ruling Pasok socialist party in voter support, an opinion poll showed, as concern mounted over Prime Minister George Papandreou’s new austerity measures.

Pasok received 27 percent support in a poll of 1,204 people by market research company Public Issue for the newspaper Kathimerini. Opposition New Democracy, led by Antonis Samaras, received 31 percent.

Samaras and the opposition have gained in polls after rejecting the government’s new austerity measures. The five-year 78 billion-euro ($112 billion) package, which received Cabinet approval last week, includes the sale of state-owned companies, higher taxes on restaurants and bars and new “crisis” levies on wages. The measures follow last year’s wage and pension cuts and are needed to qualify for funds under a 110 billion-euro bailout by the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

The poll showed both Pasok and New Democracy short of an absolute majority were elections to be held now. In a best-case scenario, with five parties being elected to parliament, New Democracy would have 149 seats, one short of a majority.

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