Greek Anti-Austerity Popular Unity Party Needs Time to Win Over Voters

George Arapoglou, the CEO of the Greek pollster Pulse, said that the newly formed anti-austerity party Popular Unity is the third party in Greece.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The newly formed Greek anti-austerity party Popular Unity may need some time to fully demonstrate its strengths and take top places in opinion polls in the run-up to the upcoming elections, George Arapoglou, the CEO of the Greek pollster Pulse, told Sputnik on Friday.

"The Party of Mr. Lafazanis [Popular Unity Party] is the third party, by number of MPs, but of course rank in this position in the public-opinion polls. It is a new party, and we will need to wait awhile before we can practically assess its strength," Arapoglou said.

On Thursday, Popular Unity, which is made up of lawmakers who broke away from the left-wing Syriza party, registered to take part in the snap elections scheduled for September 20.

Former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced his resignation in August to call early elections in a bid to secure popular support for his stance on the third bailout deal with the country's creditors. The terms of the agreement include harsh austerity measures for Greece.

The Popular Unity movement is currently the third largest parliamentary faction in the country. The party, established on August 21, continues to reject the Greek bailout deal, agreed by Tsipras with the country’s international lenders.