Even though the polls consistently show New Democracy trailing behind SYRIZA, the Prime Minister and ND leader Antonis Samaras is apparently refusing to accept the possibility of defeat in the upcoming elections.
Mr. Samaras’ associates argue that the polls are not consistent or accurate enough to suggest that ND will suffer a loss in the elections, since there are many variables to consider. The neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, for example, is one of these variables, as the party’s participation in the elections was uncertain until Sunday.
At present Mr. Samaras wants to rally traditional right-wing and center-right voters who are considering abstaining from the elections and those who are considering “defecting” to SYRIZA. The major areas of concern for Samaras and his associates are Attica and the municipalities of Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki, where ND’s candidates face fierce competition.
New Democracy’s goal in the local government elections is for its candidates to make through the first round; with the European elections scheduled for the same weekend that the second round of local government elections are to take place, New Democracy will attempt to counter any possible losses by taking advantage of the first-round results.
