The
Eleftherotypia poll, conducted by Metron Analysis, indicated faith in the democratic system is collapsing. Parties opposed to austerity are now attracting a higher percentage of the vote than the parties which dance to the Troikas tune.
The poll showed support for New Democracy at 27 percent, just above SYRIZA at 26.2 percent. Golden Dawn (Chyrsi Avgi) polled at 10.7 percent.
Commenting on the poll
the Slog notes that it is "not uncommon when canvassing for respondents to understate their support for extreme Parties." Mr Ward goes on to comment "A reliable source here in Athens states that current polls are understating support for Golden Dawn. 'Were we to have elections tomorrow,' he confides via official pollsters, “they [GD] would be in the driving seat."
Golden Dawn takes the position that mainstream polls tend to downplay their percentage of the vote in the hope it "will stem the rise of the Nationalist People's Movement."
Rising support for Golden Dawn has coincided with rising nostalgia for the
military junta. The Eleftherotypia poll showed 30 percent of Greeks think “things were better under the dictatorship compared to today.”
Ekathimerini reported the poll results indicated "59 percent of Greeks think the level of security was greater during the junta, 46 percent believe their standard of living was better and 24 percent feel that Greece’s image abroad was superior."
The
poll further indicated patience with austerity and euro zone policies are wearing thin as "78 percent believe things are worse in the Eurozone now than they were a year ago. Ninety-four percent want the government to seek reparations for forced wartime loans to Nazi Germany, while 89 percent have a negative view of German Chancellor Angela Merkel."
