Poll gives wide margin lead to SYRIZA over ND

Intention of vote, with calculations based on valid votes (excluding, in other words, invalid/"don't know" choices and without specifying percentage not likely to vote), SYRIZA got 35.5 percent (from 36 pct polled in September) and ND 27 pct (25 pct). The rest of the parties, with September results in parenthesis, are as follows: To Potami 10.5 pct (9.5 pct), Communist Party of Greece/KKE 6.5 pct (6.5 pct), PASOK/the junior member of the ruling coalition 6 pct (5.5 pct), extreme-right Golden Dawn/Chryssi Avgi 6 pct (7.5 pct), Independent Greeks/ANEL 3 pct (4 pct) and Democratic Left/DIMAR 1 pct (1 pct). The rest of the parties took collectively 4.5 pct (5 pct).

Based on the above results, in terms of Parliament seats the distribution would be as follows: SYRIZA 144, ND 71, To Potami 28, KKE 17, Golden Dawn 16, PASOK 16 and ANEL 8.

In terms of which party would come first if elections were held next Sunday, regardless of personal voting preference, respondents said SYRIZA 66 pct (64 pct in September), ND 22 (24), and 12 pct (unchanged) declined to respond.

Asked who of two party leaders would make a better prime minister, the current premier and ND leader Antonis Samaras or SYRIZA's Alexis Tsipras, 41 pct chose Samaras (from 38 pct in September) and 30 pct chose Tsipras (34). A total of 30 pct said "neither of the two" (28 pct in September).

To the question of early national elections, 55 pct said "they are probably not necessary" (49 pct in September), 43 pct said "they are probably necessary" (46). Another 3 pct declined to respond. Overall, 63 pct (54 pct) believe that "early elections are likely" whereas 31 pct (37 pct) said "it looks like the government will complete its four-year term."

The poll was national and conducted from October 13 to 20.