Syriza

 SYRIZA- The rise and fall of the cult left-wing party in Europe - Reflections on the right wing

The dominance of ruling New Democracy was confirmed by a new poll, which records a widening gap with socialist PASOK and leftist SYRIZA.

According to the survey by Opinion Poll conducted on behalf of Action24, center-right ND garnered 38.6% and a lead of 23.1 points over PASOK with 15.5%. SYRIZA was in third place with 13.4%, while New Left, which split from SYRIZA, got 2.6%.

New Democracy lawmaker Zoi Rapti on Wednesday recused herself from the parliamentary committee of inquiry on the fatal railway collision in Tempe, central Greece in February, after relatives of the victims filed a criminal action against her. 

It is seen as a foregone conclusion that the government's recent decision to introduce postal votes will boost turnout as Greeks abroad will now be able to cast their ballots without moving from their place of residence.

In the last national elections, Greeks abroad who voted numbered just 17,258.

Yannis Dragasakis, who served as deputy prime minister in Alexis Tsipras' government, has resigned from the central committee of SYRIZA. 

Interior Minister Niki Kerameus said Friday that the consultation process with parliamentary party representatives on postal voting will begin upon her return from Paris, where she is currently chairing the OECD's Global Strategy Group meeting.

Parliament has voted into law a Finance Ministry bill on measures to restrict tax evasion that introduces new regulations for freelancers and the self-employed.

All 158 MPs from ruling New Democracy voted for the bill in principle, while 140 voted against it.

Main opposition SYRIZA, PASOK and the Communist Party had requested roll-call votes in specific articles.

Stefanos Kasselakis may assert confidently that SYRIZA will finish first in the upcoming European Parliament elections; however, polling data suggest that the conservative New Democracy party continues to dominate the country's political scene as shaped after the parliamentary elections.

A statement officially announcing the foundation of New Left has been delivered to Parliamentary Speaker Konstantinos Tassoulas by the head of the new party's parliamentary group, Alexis Charitsis.

The letter, which was signed by 11 MPs who departed from SYRIZA in recent weeks, will be read out on Wednesday in parliament, before the start of the debate on the tax bill.

The new parliamentary group formed by the 11 MPs who recently left the main opposition SYRIZA party announced their name as "New Left" (Nea Aristera) on Monday at an event open to the public in Athens.