The emergence of new political formations led by former prime minister Alexis Tsipras and prominent one-time Tempi victims’ relatives representative Maria Karystianou is reshaping – somewhat – Greece’s opposition landscape, according to a new Pulse opinion poll.
In the latter, ruling center-right New Democracy (ND) retains a clear lead but faces an increasingly fragmented electoral field.
The survey, conducted between May 27 and May 31 among 1,108 eligible voters, indicates that the most significant shifts are occurring among opposition parties rather than within incument Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis‘ ruling party camp. New Democracy remains broadly stable at around 29.5% in voting intention estimates, preserving a double-digit advantage over its nearest rivals but remaining short of the levels required to comfortably secure a parliamentary majority on its own in any upcoming general election.
The poll’s most notable finding is the strong debut of Alexis Tsipras’ newly launched Greek Left Alliance (EL.A.S), which emerges as the second-largest political force, at least according to the poll results. The new party trails ND by approximately 14 percentage points, underscoring Tsipras’ continued ability to consolidate a significant portion of the center-left and left-wing electorate despite his departure from frontline politics following SYRIZA’s electoral collapse.
Competition for third place appears increasingly close, with PASOK and Karystianou’s newly formed Hope for Democracy party locked in a contest that could shape the future balance of power in the broader center and center-left political spectrum. The survey suggests that Karystianou’s entry into politics continues to attract voters dissatisfied with established parties, while also contributing to further fragmentation across the opposition.
The findings point to losses for Kyriakos Velopoulos’ right-wing Greek Solution (Elliniki Lysi) party and for Zoe Konstantopoulou’s Course of Freedom (Plefsi Eleftherias) party, both of which had benefited in recent months from anti-establishment sentiment and public anger over the 2023 Tempi rail disaster. Smaller parties continue to display considerable volatility, with MeRA25 hovering around the 3% parliamentary threshold and Voice of Reason (Foni Logikis) polling slightly above it. Both of the latter are not represented in the current Parliament.
Under the current projections, between eight and nine parties would enter parliament, reinforcing expectations that the next election could produce a highly fragmented legislature and potentially complicate government formation.
Despite shifts in party support, Mitsotakis maintains a substantial lead in the question of suitability for prime minister. Tsipras ranks a distant second, while PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis remains confined to single-digit levels, reflecting the difficulties his party continues to face in presenting itself as a credible alternative governing force.
The survey’s qualitative findings suggest that voters remain primarily focused on issues affecting everyday life. More than half of respondents said their eventual electoral choice would be determined by policies that improve living standards, economic security and practical governance rather than ideological considerations.
The poll also examined attitudes toward a potential new party led by former prime minister Antonis Samaras. Although Samaras has not announced any political initiative, speculation about a possible political comeback has intensified in recent weeks. The findings suggest that any such move would draw support primarily from New Democracy voters, potentially affecting Mitsotakis’ longer-term objective of securing parliamentary self-sufficiency.
The survey further explored public perceptions of what many respondents described as a “new” Tsipras following his political relaunch, as well as voter profiles for the three emerging formations led by Tsipras, Karystianou and potentially Samaras.
The prospect of a coalition government also continues to gain relevance as the party system becomes more fragmented. Recent polling by several research firms has pointed to declining support for traditional two-party dominance and growing voter openness to cooperation between parties, although no clear governing formula has yet emerged.
