The latest opinion poll by the Pulse firm again gives ruling ND a comfortable but sliding lead over its nearest rivals, with main opposition SYRIZA and socialist PASOK now vying for second place.

Without an extrapolation of the results, center-right ND is given 29.5% of respondents’ preferences, compared to 12% for both leftist SYRIZA and PASOK. The communist party comes in fourth with 7.5%, half a percentage point ahead of the right-wing Elliniki Lysi party.

The results of the opinion poll were presented on Monday’s primetime newscast on Athens-based Skai TV.

With an extrapolation of the results, the ruling party is pegged at 35.5%, with SYRIZA and PASOK given 14%.

A slight majority, 52% percent of respondents, said a draft bill allowing recognition of non-state, non-profit universities in the country is generally in the right direction. The draft legislation comes up for a vote in the Parliament plenum on Friday.

A plurality (34%) of respondents also expressed disapproval with the practice of “occupying” university campuses and administrative buildings by opponents of the draft bill; 21% expressed support with the “sit in” practice.

Turning to rapid developments in SYRIZA party, 48% percent of respondents believe former prime minister and party president Alexis Tsipras appeared politically “weakened” after the party’s recent conference.