New Democracy retains its substantial lead in Greece’s second-largest city even as two newly launched parties jostle for position in an increasingly fragmented political landscape, according to an Opinion Poll survey conducted in Thessaloniki between May 29 and June 5.
The ruling center-right party polled at 24% in voting intention and 29.6% in estimated vote share, more than double the support of its nearest rival. The results come shortly after the formal entry of two new political forces: the Greek Left Alliance, led by former prime minister Alexis Tsipras, and Hope for Democracy, the nationalist populist party of Maria Karystianou, a Thessaloniki native who launched her movement in the city.
Tsipras, who served as prime minister from 2015 to 2019 at the head of the left-wing SYRIZA party, placed second with 10.8% in voting intention and 13.3% in estimated vote share. Hope for Democracy came third at 7.8% in voting intention and 9.6% in estimated vote share, edging ahead of the center-left PASOK party, which recorded 7.5% and 9.3% respectively.
The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) polled at 5.9% in voting intention and 7.2% in estimated vote share, while the far-right Ellinki Lysi recorded 5.8% and 7.1% respectively. Pleusi Eleftherias came in at 5.3% and 6.6%.
The once-dominant SYRIZA registered just 2.4% in voting intention and 3% in estimated vote share, underscoring the damage the split has inflicted on the party. A significant share of respondents remained undecided, representing a substantial reserve of potential voters yet to be claimed.
The poll also captured the views of Thessaloniki residents on local issues. Cleanliness emerged as the city’s top concern, cited by 49.2% of respondents, followed by traffic congestion and parking shortages at 43%, and the state of the road network at 19.7%.
The city’s metro system received a notably positive reception: 87% of respondents said it had eased their daily commute and helped reduce congestion. Mayor Stelios Angeloudis also drew strong approval ratings, with 67.3% of respondents expressing a positive or somewhat positive view of his performance, against 22.4% who viewed him negatively.
The survey was conducted between May 29 and June 5 among 1,004 households, combining 700 telephone interviews with 304 online panel responses.
