ATHENS – New Democracy's handling of the COVID-19 crisis has propelled the Conservatives to a 21.2 percent lead over the major rival Radical Left SYRIZA that was ousted in July 7, 2019 snap elections after reneging on anti-austerity promises.

Under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who started the 8-billion-euro ($9.12 billion) development of the abandoned Hellenikon International Airport that was stymied by the anti-business SYRIZA for 4 ½ years, New Democracy is building bigger leads in surveys.

The latest, that gave New Democracy a 41.6-20.4 percent lead over SYRIZA – if elections were held now – was taken  by Marc for Alpha TV but there was no response from the fading Leftists who have been sniping at the government.

In a distant third at 5.7 percent was the center-left Movement for Change (KINAL) led by leftovers of the former PASOK Socialists who went belly-up after backing austerity measures antithetical to its principles while serving New Democracy in a coalition.

Fourth in its usual place which has been stagnant for decades was the KKE Communists with 5 percent while the ultra-nationalist Greek Solution had 3.4 percent.

The MeRA25 party of former SYRIZA finance chief Yanis Varoufakis has plummeted to 1.4 percent after failing to register with voters, far below the 3 percent needed to get back into Parliament if elections were held.

An overwhelming 74.7 percent of respondents said they were “very” or “quite” worried about deteriorating Greek-Turkish relations and 64.7% were worried about their finances because of the cost of the ongoing Coronavirus crisis.