Pasok Surpasses Syriza in Recent Polls Amidst Internal Turmoil

The most recent polls reveal that the Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement (Pasok) has taken second place, surpassing, for the first time in 11 years, the primary opposition party, the leftist Syriza, which is currently grappling with internal conflicts.

Pasok, a historically influential party in Greek politics, experienced a decline in electoral performance after the country sought a bailout from the International Monetary Fund in 2010. Leftist Syriza, affiliated with the EU Left, assumed the role of the main opposition under the leadership of Alexis Tsipras, ultimately bringing the party to power.

The socialists began regaining momentum after Syriza's electoral defeat by the conservative New Democracy party (EPP) in the national elections last June. Following Tsipras's resignation, the 35-year-old businessman Stefanos Kasselakis took over, leading to internal conflicts described by many as a "civil war" within Syriza.

According to a recent Marc poll, the ruling New Democracy party leads with 39%, followed by Pasok at 14.3%, with Syriza in third place at 13.8%. Another poll conducted by Opinion Poll last week confirmed a similar trend, with New Democracy at 38.5%, Pasok in second place with 16%, and Syriza at 14.7%.

Despite its internal crisis, Syriza insists that Pasok cannot capitalize on it electorally, asserting that its voters are more likely to abstain than turn to the socialists. An influential Syriza lawmaker, Nikos Pappas, stated last week that "Even in our worst crisis, Pasok does not pick up," maintaining that Greek voters will ultimately shift back to Syriza, which will "build the social and political alliances that will make us a majority again."

Pasok leader Nikos Androulakis rejects this argument, stating in an interview with ANT1 TV channel that while his party is on the rise, it requires continuous effort and is not seeking premature celebrations. He also emphasized that the conservatives' dominance in Greek politics is partly due to a lack of trust in the official main opposition, Syriza.