FT: ND leads SYRIZA by 10.5% for EP elections

The piece predicts the Greek government will call early national elections

Financial Times publishes its projection for each EU country for the upcoming EP election in May based on member-state polls. Greece is among the countries covered with the author estimating the Greek government will opt to hold national elections close to the time the European parliament elections are scheduled. The projection in voting intentions, on average, gives New Democracy a lead of 10.5 points and the British newspaper estimates it is expected to win 10 seats in the new European Parliament.

Greece is expected to hold an early parliamentary election at the same time or within a week of the European polls. The country is emerging from a decade-long recession but with unemployment still above 18 per cent and an unprecedented exodus of skilled young workers to other EU countries, job creation will be the primary issue at both elections. Polls show the left-wing Syriza government of Alexis Tsipras, which came first in the European elections in 2014 and went on to win two general elections in 2015, lagging behind the centre-right New Democracy party (ND).