New Democracy maintains the image of undisturbed political sovereignty several months after the national elections. Another poll by Pulse for SKAI yesterday confirmed this, with ND being measured at 38%.
According to the poll, PASOK overtook SYRIZA, which within 15 days lost 2.5 points and, in the vote estimation, recorded 14.5% against PASOK's 15%. KKE is far away, with only 10.5%.
However, the most interesting element of this research is that there is a window of opportunity for the government to pass important reforms with little political cost. A typical example is the introduction of the tax reforms for freelancers, for which the first demonstrations were held the day before yesterday in the centre of Athens.
The survey shows that 59% of the respondents agree with the tax reform, even if 40% emphasise that the government should take corrective actions. Dissenters in total are recorded at 30%.
Even more interesting is the picture among the "directly concerned", i.e. freelancers, where the survey presents a divided picture. 47% say the reform is wrong, while 46% say it is moving in the right direction, even if interventions are needed.
One could read the relevant findings of the investigation as a signal to the government to make corrective interventions in the bill. On the other hand, however, a significant part of society, which is the majority of all respondents, is not opposed in principle to the plan for tax reforms, even if adjustments are requested.
The picture is similar in the near-conflict with notaries over digital contracts, with 66% of respondents agreeing in principle with the reform.
The figures of Pulse, according to the reading of government officials, justify the persistence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to continue with the reforms for which he has committed himself. In other words, a social condition is a "window of opportunity" for the government to initiate cuts that would otherwise be highly unpopular.
Reform interventions of a similar nature should be expected in the next cabinet on November 30, while the Ministry of Finance will decide on the targeted interventions in the tax bill in the following days.
SYRIZA with its pocketbook
At the same time, the good timing for substantial reforms also explains why Kyriakos Mitsotakis leaves the developments inside SYRIZA aside and is practically unoccupied.
"I will ask you not to deal with what is happening in the opposition. Our opposition is the everyday problems of the citizens. That's all we deal with. This is what we are trying to solve. We don't always succeed. Whenever we don't succeed, we will tell you honestly, and we will try harder", underlined Mitsotakis in support of this, speaking to supporters of ND in Kammena Vourla.
The changes in Parliament
At the same time, the departure of 11 deputies brought upheavals in the parliamentary map and significant losses in SYRIZA's political and parliamentary influence.
The further disintegration of the official opposition party is recorded statistically with three facts:
- SYRIZA now has 36 MPs, which in terms of electoral percentage is interpreted as approximately 13.8%.
- At the same time, as the official opposition, it breaks the previous negative record of fewer MPs that SYRIZA again held with the 47 members that appeared at the start of the parliamentary term.
- The party is not represented in 29 constituencies out of a total of 59.
The recent departure of the group of 11 further reduced SYRIZA's influence by six constituencies. In particular, after the independence of Nasos Iliopoulos and Dimitris Tzanakopoulos, Koumoundourou no longer has any MP in the central district of Athens.
The party also loses representation in the 5th seat of Ioannina after the flight of Meropi Tzoufi, in the 2nd seat of Florina (Peti Perka), in the 5th seat of Messinia (Alexis Haritsis) and the two 3rd seats of Xanthi and Rodopi (Ozgur, Hussein).
It is recalled that since last June's national elections, SYRIZA has not been represented in the nine single seats (Kefalonia, Evrytania, Fokida, Kastoria, Grevena, Thesprotia, Zakynthos, Lefkada, Samos) as well as in Chios, Serres, Rethymnon, Pieria, Lesvos, Lasithi. Laconia, Cyclades, Karditsa, Kavala, Imathia, Evros, and the Dodecanese.
However, Stefanos Kasselakis' party maintains the official opposition title as it remains the second party in parliamentary strength. However, if it continues to falter and loses at least five more MPs, PASOK will become the official opposition.