New Democracy

The gap between SYRIZA and New Democracy has narrowed since last month but the leftists are still 8.5 percentage points ahead of the conservatives, according to a new Public Issue poll.

Changes to the public sector wage structure are at the heart of a dispute within the coalition that has raised concerns about whether the government will be in a position to negotiate effectively when the troika returns to Athens.

SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras has called on opposition and independent MPs to clarify how they intend to vote in February’s presidential election, which could lead to an early national vote, as a new opinion poll indicated that the leftists are expanding their lead over New Democracy.

A new GPO poll conducted for Mega TV gives SYRIZA a 6.5 percentage point lead over New Democracy.

The survey, whose results were shown on the Anatropi program late on Monday, also places centrist To Potami in third place.

The government breezed through a confidence vote that took place after midnight on Friday as it gained the support of its own MPs but no other members of Parliament.

The final results saw 155 MPs back the coalition, two lawmakers vote "present" and 131 deputies vote against the government.

The coalition is expected to comfortably win a confidence vote in Parliament on Friday, especially after its ranks were boosted on Thursday by the return of independent MP Nikitas Kaklamanis to New Democracy.

The Greek coalition government, which faces a crucial confidence vote on Friday, saw its parliamentary majority rise to 155 MPs in the 300-seat House after senior partner New Democracy accepted a request by former Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis to be let back into the conservative party fold.

Independent Greeks deputy Rachil Makri was on Tuesday ousted from the parliamentary group in the wake of an escalating tiff with leader Panos Kammenos and other members of the right-wing, anti-bailout party.

A 31-year-old man accused of being a member of leftist guerrilla group Revolutionary Struggle and of planning an imminent terrorist attack, announced on Tuesday morning that he is going on hunger and thirst strike in order to pressure authorities to remand him in custody at the Greek capital's Korydallos Prison.

Antonis Stamboulos, the man arrested last week on suspicion of being a member of leftist guerrilla group Revolutionary Struggle and of planning an imminent terrorist attack, was transferred to Attica’s high-security Korydallos Prison on Monday.