Main opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras acknowledged a "stagnation" in his party's momentum on Friday, following the publication of an opinion poll for Kathimerini and Skai that showed a decline in the main opposition party's popularity. Speaking on private REAL radio station on Friday, Tsipras said: "I do not deny that a tendency of stagnation has been recorded in SYRIZA's momentum. I, too, sense this", attributing this to the fact that a great expectation had been created that SYRIZA will manage to obstruct the government from passing the (austerity) measures and upset the policy, but was belied".
The poll showed that a five percent swing in public opinion has led to New Democracy overtaking SYRIZA as Greece’s leading party, while at the same time it showed that Greek citizens are less depressed than they were several months ago. The Public Issue poll for January gave Antonis Samaras' New Democracy part some 29 percent of the vote, which is a 3 percent increase from that in December, and SYRIZA 28.5 percent, which is a 2 percent decline in the same period.
The Golden Dawn party remained third with 10 percent while PASOK was fourth with 8 percent, the Independent Greeks Party had 8 percent, followed by the Democratic Left party with 7 percent and the Communist Party on 5.5 percent.
The new poll also showed that there has been a significant change in the number of voters who believe that the ruling ND party will win the next elections, or 25 percent more than that recorded in December 2012. On the other, those expecting SYRIZA to win the next elections are down from 60 percent to 44 percent.
The apparent shift on the political scene came as the proportion of Greeks who feel their country is heading in the wrong direction fell by 19 percentage points in a month to 68 percent. Also, those who think the state is doing its job well is up from 10 percent to 26 percent. The percentage of Greeks who think their country will default has fallen to 21 percent from 38 percent, but 52 percent believe the economic crisis will last more than five years.
Tsipras told RealFm that there are no mobilizations. "SYRIZA's momentum and the people's mobilizations are communicating vessels", he said adding that the decrease was only to be expected, and opining that "soon, the top party will be unemployment" and that the citizens' expectations of the government will also be belied soon.
He further expressed concern and worry over recent incidents of violence such as Friday's early morning spate of firebombs targeting journalists' homes.
At the same time Tsipras also passed off as "absurdities" press claims that German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble had "asked permission" from Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to meet with Tsipras in Berlin next week. Tsipras is to have his first-ever meeting with Schaeuble, next week in Berlin, at a meeting that was arranged before Christmas in consultation with Germany's left-wing party Die Linke. Tsipras is tentatively due to arrive in the German capital on Saturday and will stay for four days, which may be extended by one or two days, and is scheduled to have a series of contacts with Social Democratic Party (SPD) officials, intellectuals, and will speak at a Die Linke event.
(Combined Reports - Kathimerini, Real, Amna)
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