The findings of Metron Analysis' latest research, titled "Before and After February 28, 2025: A Storm of Developments. Greece, Europe, and the West at a Crossroads", were presented on Sunday at the annual conference of Kyklos Ideon, a Greek think tank founded in 2015 by former Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos. The study examines whether recent events signal a major turning point for Greece, Europe, and the broader Western world.
On February 28, 2025, two events of significant political and symbolic weight took place. In Greece, mass demonstrations were held in remembrance of the tragic Tempi train disaster, with calls for justice fueling large-scale protests. On the global stage, a dramatic confrontation between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky erupted at the White House, further intensifying geopolitical tensions. These events encapsulate the broader atmosphere of political uncertainty and destabilization that is taking shape both within Greece and internationally.
In Greece, the study reveals a growing sense of pessimism and frustration. Nearly half of respondents expressed a general sense of pessimism about the country's trajectory, while 43 percent reported feelings of anger.
The dominant concerns among Greeks remain economic hardship and inflation, which 63 percent of respondents identified as the country’s most pressing issue. The rule of law ranked as the second most significant concern, with 46 percent citing it as a key problem—a sentiment that is directly linked to the public outcry over the Tempi tragedy, where justice remains the central demand.
At the same time, public satisfaction with how Greece is governed democratically remains low, with an average rating of just 4.1 on a scale of 1 to 10. This reflects a broader shift toward an anti-establishment mindset, weakening the influence of traditional political forces such as the ruling center-right New Democracy (ND) and the center-left PASOK. Between December 2024 and March 2025, ND’s potential voter appeal dropped by 15 percentage points, falling from 44 to 29 percent, placing it in third place. PASOK, which now leads in potential voter support, also experienced a decline of seven points, from 47 to 44 percent.
There is also a growing perception that Greece is not lacking in political leadership alternatives, with two out of three respondents rejecting the idea that the current prime minister is the only viable option. Alongside dissatisfaction with governance, there is a clear demand for political and economic reforms. A majority of Greeks now favor coalition governments over single-party rule, while 83 percent support simplifying judicial procedures, and 71 percent advocate for a shift away from a service-based economy toward stronger industrial production.
Internationally, Trump’s policies are already influencing Greek public opinion. He is perceived as a direct threat to Greece by 31 percent of respondents, second only to Turkey, which remains the country’s primary perceived threat at 52 percent. His return to global politics is widely expected to strain U.S.-European relations and further destabilize the Western world. As a result, there is a growing preference for greater European Union strategic autonomy, with 63 percent of respondents favoring a more independent EU over continued reliance on the United States.
The study suggests that February 28 was not a sudden turning point but rather a moment of culmination, where long-simmering tensions erupted into the public and political arena. In Greece, political trust is eroding at an accelerating pace, while across the Atlantic, the Euro-Atlantic alliance appears to be fracturing. The broader Western world is also seen as being in decline, with 59 percent of respondents believing the West is losing its global standing. A new world order is emerging—one that appears more authoritarian, more insular, and more cynical than the post-war framework that was largely shaped by the United States.
