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Pessimism will be the permanent companion of the Greeks next year. This is what a poll, carried out on 14-15 December by the University of Macedonia for SKAI TV, shows. Four out of five respondents believe that the new year will bring measures, which are more severe than those already applied, and 84.5% are frustrated with the government's current course of action. 51% "suggest" to Prime Minister Tsipras to form a broad coalition government or a government of national agreement in case he loses his parliamentary majority. 41% of respondents believe that New Democracy must edge towards the political centre. The majority thinks well of the cohabitation agreement for homosexual couples.

Optimism rating

66.5% of respondents believe that the economic situation of households will deteriorate over the next 12 months. This percentage is just under the one in the corresponding survey in November (70.5%).

This result corresponds to the finding that, according to 77.5% of respondents, things (for the country and its citizens) are moving in the wrong direction. More than half (57%) of respondents who are Syriza voters have given this answer. The percentage is almost the same as the one in the November poll.

Most respondents – 84.5% – say they are not satisfied with the results so far achieved by the government. 67% of those who voted for SYRIZA back in September have answered the same way.

85.5% believe that the measures in the course of the new year will be even harder than those hitherto applied. This is the opinion of 75.5 % of SYRIZA voters as well.

Asked whether the government is in danger of losing its parliamentary majority over the measures, which must be voted in parliament, the answers are divided as follows: 39% of respondents believe that there is a real risk of SYRIZA losing MPs, 12.5% don't know or prefer not to answer, but 48.5% think this won't happen. 56% of SYRIZA voters believe the government will face no issues.

If however SYRIZA bleeds MPs, 51.5% of citizens believe that Tsipras is well-advised to form a broad coalition government or a government of national consensus. These percentages are, respectively, 67.5% among New Democracy voters and 41% among SYRIZA voters. According to 21% of respondents, Tsipras will have to seek support from other political forces in the current parliament, while 18.5% prefer early elections.

In-house developments at New Democracy

44% of respondents would rather see a new party, which in the long run will replace New Democracy. Only 30% believe that New Democracy should stay the way it is now. Among ND voters, the percentages are 29.5% for the former option and 57% for the status quo.

41% of all respondents and 41.5% of ND voters believe the party should move to the centre in ideological terms. Respectively, 27% and 38.5% believe that it should stay on the same positions as it holds now.

Migration

62.5% of respondents believe that government policy on the issue of refugees and migrants is wrong, and for 23% it is correct. Among SYRIZA voters, the percentages are, respectively, 44% and 42.5%.

Cohabitation agreements for homosexual couples

On this important issue, which has recently spurred debates in society, 55.5% of respondents said they entirely or tentatively agreed that cohabitation agreements should be extended to cover homosexual couples as well. However, there is a high percentage of those who are utterly or tentatively against this – 31.5%.

Most positive reactions come from the constituencies of Potami (80%), the Communist Party (77%), the Democratic Coalition (75%) and SYRIZA (66%), followed by New Democracy (43.5%) and the Union of Centrists (35%). 28.5% of Independent Greeks voters and 23% of Golden Dawn voters also responded positively. The poll has found that the younger and more educated respondents were, the higher the percentage of positive answers on this question.