SYRIZA shock! Annoyance over polls showing ND lead (Watch live rally, 18.00 GMT)

How accurate are opinion polls Greece, or elsewhere? Has tide turned against SYRIZA?

The Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) leadership is reportedly annoyed by recent opinion polls showing the conservative New Democracy (ND) party slightly ahead. At SYRIZA’s central Athens headquarters, predictions put the ruling party ahead. There is doubt concerning the figures that have come to light.

Top party officials charged that the polls cannot possibly have an accurate bearing, given that a large number of citizens have yet to return from vacations. The same sources point to the Jan. 25 elections, when some polls placed SYRIZA slightly behind ND and other barely ahead. Opinion polls were woefully off target in predicting the result of the July 6 referendum.

Party officials, however, agree that SYRIZA needs to get its act together and unify its various factions after a recent high-profile split.

The party’s new slogan will be “Winning Tomorrow” as former prime minister Alexis Tsipras continues to slog out his campaign.

Watch Tsipras’ campaign rally in the working class west Athens district of Egaleo on Thursday evening.

SCHEDULE

Thursday

20:00 A. Tsipras speaks at Estavromenou (Crucifixion) Square, Aigaleo

Friday

A visit to Livadia

Sunday

Tsipras in Thessaloniki to visit the International Fair and speak at the Vellidis conference hall at 19.30 (local time). Earlier, he will tour the fair and meet its management (11:00), visiting the National Research and Technological Development Center (13:00) and the 1st High Tech Businesses’ Park (14:00).