Nearly seven in ten Greeks believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, according to a new opinion poll that highlights mounting public frustration over living costs and growing dissatisfaction with both the government and the traditional opposition.
The survey, conducted by Metron Analysis and released Thursday on Megatv, underscores the shifting dynamics of Greece's political landscape as two newly formed parties led by former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Maria Karystianou begin to attract significant support.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' center-right New Democracy remains the country's dominant political force, securing 22.7% support in voter-intention polling. But the emergence of Tsipras' new political movement, ELAS, has altered the balance of power on the opposition side, with the party immediately capturing 12.1% support and overtaking the center-left PASOK, which fell to 9%.
Another newcomer, Hope for Democracy, founded by Karystianou, registered 8.3%, further fragmenting the opposition vote. The findings reflect broader public unease over economic conditions. Sixty-nine percent of respondents said Greece is moving in the wrong direction, while nearly half reported that their personal financial situation has worsened compared with a year ago.
Inflation and the rising cost of living remain the dominant concerns for voters, with nearly half identifying price pressures as the country's most important problem. Concerns about the economy more broadly and the functioning of democratic institutions also ranked among the top issues.
When undecided voters are allocated proportionally, New Democracy's support rises to 28.5%, according to Metron's vote estimate. ELAS would emerge as the second-largest party with 15.2%, followed by PASOK at 11.2%. Hope for Democracy would secure 10.4%, suggesting that Greece's next parliament could include as many as nine parties.
The poll points to a growing appetite for political change. Sixty-one percent of respondents said the country needs a new political direction, while only 38% prioritized stability. At the same time, Greeks remain divided on whether national elections should be held early or at the scheduled end of the government's four-year term, with opinion split almost evenly.
The rise of Tsipras and Karystianou is drawing support from different segments of the electorate. More than half of ELAS supporters previously voted for the left-wing SYRIZA party in the 2023 election, suggesting Tsipras has retained significant influence among voters on the left despite SYRIZA's collapse in recent years.
Karystianou's support base, by contrast, appears far more diverse. Her party draws voters from across the political spectrum, including former supporters of New Democracy, SYRIZA, nationalist parties and non-voters. According to Stratos Fanaras, chief executive of Metron Analysis, that breadth could prove both a strength and a weakness.
«The appeal of this new formation is more emotional than political», Fanaras said during the presentation of the poll. «It is more vulnerable because it lacks a clearly defined political identity».
Tsipras, he argued, benefits from a well-established ideological profile and stronger organizational roots within Greece's left and center-left, though that also limits his ability to expand beyond those constituencies.
Karystianou nevertheless emerged as the country's most popular political figure, with a 39% approval rating. She was followed by opposition politician Zoe Konstantopoulou at 34%, Mitsotakis at 32%, Communist Party leader Dimitris Koutsoumbas at 30%, and Tsipras at 29%.
Mitsotakis remains the public's preferred choice for prime minister, with 28% naming him as the most suitable candidate for the role. Tsipras ranked second at 14%, doubling his score from April before the launch of ELAS. Yet a striking 27% of respondents said that none of the current political leaders was suitable for the office.
The poll also revealed deep dissatisfaction with Greece's political institutions. Nearly seven in ten respondents rated the government's overall performance negatively, while two-thirds disapproved of Mitsotakis' handling of his duties as prime minister. The government received particularly poor marks on economic management, democratic governance and day-to-day quality-of-life issues.
The opposition fared little better. Four out of five respondents expressed a negative view of PASOK's performance as the main opposition party, and a similar share held an unfavorable opinion of its leader, Nikos Androulakis.
