Galery

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Being usually the last ones to announce the composition of their bulletins New Democracy and PASOK have already submitted their lists of candidates for the re-election on 17 June before their smaller opponents. However, the so-called "public" bulletins, i.e. the honorary lists are expected to be announced in a few days.

New Democracy has announced the names of 412 candidates for deputies, 43 of whom will participate in elections for the first time. Among them, 139 are women. 14 are members of the Democratic Alliance of Dora Bakogiannis and another 5 are "repented" former members of Panos Kamenos’ Independent Greeks. Three candidates are "prodigal" sons returning from LAOS. A "blue" candidate is Stelios Stavridis, who was the first in the honorary list of Drasi on 6 May.

The compilation of ballots provoked reactions of discontent from the "blue", who were pushed by Dora Bakogiannis’ candidates after her return to the mother party. They managed to prevail in some areas and took the positions with a higher chance of being elected.

The number of new names in the ballots of PASOK is 36. Prominent party representatives, who held high positions in the past and participated in the elections in May are absent from the list of candidates. Among them are former parliament speaker Filippos Petsalnikos and Sifis Valirakis - chairman of the parliamentary committee which freed from guilt Akis Tsochatzopoulos.

SYRIZA has announced that it will not make any changes in the ballots. Party spokesman Panos Skourletis has stated that this is done "with full respect for the order that was imposed by the electorate."

He denied media reports saying that the old guard of PASOK has moved to SYRIZA. The party argued that the former PASOK minister Louka Katseli may have expressed the support of her party Social Alliance to SYRIZA, but would not take part in the elections.
 
Democratic Left’s ballots to which two more candidates were added remain the same.

Meanwhile, a new poll by the agency GPO suggests that seven parties will enter parliament with New Democracy dominating in the upcoming elections. In particular, 23.4% of participants said they would vote for the "blue." SYRIZA is second with 22.1% followed by PASOK with 13.5%, Independent Greeks with 7.4%, the Communist Party with 5.9%, the Democratic Left with 5.1% and Golden Dawn with 4.2%.

The poll results show that the coalition formed between the parties ReCreate Greece and Drasi will win 2.6% of the vote and will remain outside the parliament. It is followed by LAOS with 2% and the Green environmentalists with 0.5%.

Asked, "Who will win the elections in your opinion," 56.6% of participants replied New Democracy, 33.6% - SYRIZA and only 0.5% indicated PASOK. Antonis Samaras is at the top of the list for preferred prime minister with 22.7% and Alexis Tsipras and Evangelos Venizelos are second with 19.1%. Far behind are the leaders of Democratic Left Fotis Kouvelis with 8.1% and of Independent Greeks Panos Kamenos with 4.4%.

66.4% of respondents stated they prefer a coalition government against 30.3% who prefer a single-party government. New Democracy is considered to be better prepared to govern by 33.1% of respondents. Then follow SYRIZA with 16.1% and PASOK with 10.2%.

47.9% of participants considered that Alexis Tsipras is to blame for the failure to establish a government after the 6 May elections. 14.7% stated that Antonis Samaras is to blame, 4.4% - Evangelos Venizelos and 3.2% - Fotis Kouvelis.

When asked how likely it is for Greece to exit the euro area, 45.4% of respondents answered "very likely" or "quite likely" and 48.4% replied "not likely" and "not likely at all."

19.9% stated that on 17 June they will vote for changing the Memorandum, 15.3% - for its cancellation, 24.6% - for keeping Greece in the euro area and 36.5% - for the option of forming a government in the country.

55.3% of respondents are not positive about the coalition between Dora Bakogiannis and Antonis Samaras, whereas 40% approve of it.

58.2% believe that the high percentage SYRIZA received on 6 May was a vote against the current political system, 28.2% believe that it was a vote against the Memorandum and only 6.3% think it was a vote supporting the formation of a left office.

Accordingly, six out of ten participants believe that the great support to Golden Dawn was a vote of protest against the political system, 29.3% think it was a vote for the expulsion of immigrants from Greece and only 4.8% consider it a vote in support of the far right.

When asked what the next government should do, 20.4% of respondents said that it should withdraw or cancel the Memorandum and 77.8% believe that it should introduce amendments to it after talks with creditors. 80.9% of them said that Greece should remain in the euro area at all costs against 18%, who are hesitant or strongly against the involvement in the common European currency.

SYRIZA referred to the polls controlling commission insisting that a thorough examination of the full polls results must be performed. The party representative responsible for the analysis of poll results urged the authorities to ensure compliance with the law, which prohibits the publication of polls 15 days before the elections, "although we are against this ban." The claim of the left is based on the fact that before the election on 6 May, the public domain was full of rumours about results of secret polls, which misled the public.