The poll conducted by the company OPINION POLL (for iefimerida.gr) had as its main objective the evaluation of the first hundred days of the new municipal authorities in the municipalities of Athens and Thessaloniki. However, some interesting conclusions are drawn from its findings regarding the country’s two largest cities. Athens and Thessaloniki have similarities, but they also have obvious differences.
For example, when it comes to prioritizing the problems plaguing citizens, cleanliness and traffic are in the top two positions for both cities. In Thessaloniki, cleanliness is assessed as the most serious problem by six out of ten citizens, compared to five out of ten in Athens. Apparently this has to do with the very bad image the city was showing at the end of 2023, but also at least the first month of 2024 until the new municipal government manages to put some order.
The same applies to traffic, where in Thessaloniki it appears with greater intensity (47.8%) than in Athens (33.9%), even though the daily report of the capital shows every morning the endless traffic jams in Kifissos, Kifissias and sometimes also on Attiki street.
The answer to this paradox is none other than the fact that the capital has much better public transport (metro, electric, tram, trolley, city buses) than Thessaloniki. Proof that in the survey the people of Thessaloniki rate transportation as the third most important problem (17.6%), while the people of Athens rank it in tenth place (5.5%).
In Athens, very high, crime/delinquency is in third place (26.3%), while in Thessaloniki it is in sixth place (8.4%).
Also, for the Athenians an important problem (in sixth place) is immigration (10.3%), while for the Thessalonians it is almost non-existent (in 14th place with 2.3%).
On the contrary, the condition of the road network is assessed as a significant problem for both cities (15.8% for Athens, 13.6% for Thessaloniki), as is the maintenance and development of greenery (12.5% for Athens, 9 .4% for Thessaloniki). Poverty as a problem is assessed as a problem by 10.1% of Athenians and only by 4.2% of the citizens of the poor city of Thessaloniki.
Metro, Flyover, TEF
Of course, some of the biggest differences between the two cities are found in the field of transportation infrastructure. Athens has had a metro network with three lines for 24 years (while the fourth one is under construction), with 66 stations and a total length of 90 kilometers (17th in Europe, 2nd in the Balkans behind Istanbul).
Thessaloniki has been struggling for 18 years to complete a metro line, approximately 9.5 kilometers long with 13 stations to be followed by the extension to Kalamaria with another five stations. Indicative of the suspicion that this whole situation has caused to the people of Thessaloniki is the finding of the poll according to which 66.8% do not believe that the metro will operate next November.
Among the problems that concern the people of Thessaloniki is the Flyover, which is placed in seventh place with 7.4%. Of course, in Athens such regional road network projects (Attiki road, Ymittos regional road, etc.) have been completed and have been operating for many years.
Very interesting is the finding regarding the attempted reconstruction of the TIF, a plan which, apparently, finds the people of Thessaloniki divided, despite the climate that is cultivated that the specific project is universally accepted. According to the poll, 47.3% are in favor of the redevelopment plan being promoted, while 43.8% disagree, proposing that the current space be turned into a metropolitan park and the Exhibition be relocated.
The political deviation
The above differences, which put Thessaloniki in a more difficult position compared to Athens, partially justify the significant discrepancies observed in the electoral behavior of the voters. The most typical case is the opinion poll performance of Hellenic Solution, which in this measurement appears at 13.9% for the municipality of Thessaloniki, in second place, while in the municipality of Athens it is at 6.8%, in fifth place. But the percentages of Victory are almost twice as high in Thessaloniki (6.1% compared to 3.5% in Athens).
Shifts to the right lead New Democracy four points lower in the municipality of Thessaloniki than in the municipality of Athens (31.5% versus 35.5%). PASOK’s performance is disappointing (7.4% and fifth party in the municipality of Thessaloniki, 8.7% and fourth place in the municipality of Athens). On the contrary, the KKE shows relative stability (8.9% and 9.5%). It is noted that these percentages refer to vote estimation.
The poll conducted by the company OPINION POLL (for iefimerida.gr) had as its main objective the evaluation of the first hundred days of the new municipal authorities in the municipalities of Athens and Thessaloniki. However, some interesting conclusions are drawn from its findings regarding the country’s two largest cities. Athens and Thessaloniki have similarities, but they also have obvious differences.
For example, when it comes to prioritizing the problems plaguing citizens, cleanliness and traffic are in the top two positions for both cities. In Thessaloniki, cleanliness is assessed as the most serious problem by six out of ten citizens, compared to five out of ten in Athens. Apparently this has to do with the very bad image the city was showing at the end of 2023, but also at least the first month of 2024 until the new municipal government manages to put some order.
The same applies to traffic, where in Thessaloniki it appears with greater intensity (47.8%) than in Athens (33.9%), even though the daily report of the capital shows every morning the endless traffic jams in Kifissos, Kifissias and sometimes also on Attiki street.
The answer to this paradox is none other than the fact that the capital has much better public transport (metro, electric, tram, trolley, city buses) than Thessaloniki. Proof that in the survey the people of Thessaloniki rate transportation as the third most important problem (17.6%), while the people of Athens rank it in tenth place (5.5%).
In Athens, very high, crime/delinquency is in third place (26.3%), while in Thessaloniki it is in sixth place (8.4%).
Also, for the Athenians an important problem (in sixth place) is immigration (10.3%), while for the Thessalonians it is almost non-existent (in 14th place with 2.3%).
On the contrary, the condition of the road network is assessed as a significant problem for both cities (15.8% for Athens, 13.6% for Thessaloniki), as is the maintenance and development of greenery (12.5% for Athens, 9 .4% for Thessaloniki). Poverty as a problem is assessed as a problem by 10.1% of Athenians and only by 4.2% of the citizens of the poor city of Thessaloniki.
Metro, Flyover, TEF
Of course, some of the biggest differences between the two cities are found in the field of transportation infrastructure. Athens has had a metro network with three lines for 24 years (while the fourth one is under construction), with 66 stations and a total length of 90 kilometers (17th in Europe, 2nd in the Balkans behind Istanbul).
Thessaloniki has been struggling for 18 years to complete a metro line, approximately 9.5 kilometers long with 13 stations, to be followed by the extension to Kalamaria with another five stations. Indicative of the suspicion that this whole situation has caused to the people of Thessaloniki is the finding of the poll according to which 66.8% do not believe that the metro will operate next November.
Among the problems that concern the people of Thessaloniki is the Flyover, which is placed in seventh place with 7.4%. Of course, in Athens such regional road network projects (Attiki road, Ymittos regional road, etc.) have been completed and have been operating for many years.
Very interesting is the finding concerning the attempted reconstruction of the TIF, a project which, apparently, finds the people of Thessaloniki divided, despite the climate that is cultivated that the specific project is universally accepted. According to the poll, 47.3% are in favor of the redevelopment plan being promoted, while 43.8% disagree, proposing that the current space be turned into a metropolitan park and the Exhibition be relocated.
The political deviation
The above differences, which put Thessaloniki in a more difficult position compared to Athens, partially justify the significant discrepancies observed in the electoral behavior of the voters. The most characteristic case is the opinion poll performance of Hellenic Solution which in this measurement appears at 13.9% for the municipality of Thessaloniki, in second place, while in the municipality of Athens it is at 6.8%, in fifth place. But the percentages of Victory are almost twice as high in Thessaloniki (6.1% compared to 3.5% in Athens).
Shifts to the right lead New Democracy four points lower in the municipality of Thessaloniki than in the municipality of Athens (31.5% versus 35.5%). PASOK’s performance is disappointing (7.4% and fifth party in the municipality of Thessaloniki, 8.7% and fourth place in the municipality of Athens). On the contrary, the KKE shows relative stability (8.9% and 9.5%). It is noted that these percentages refer to vote estimation.
