Society is heading into winter in a sombre mood, but people have not stopped looking to politics for solutions. That is the main finding of a nationwide survey by Metron Analysis for Mega News 104.6, entitled “Social Pessimism & Moving Beyond It” (October 2026).
Specifically, 69.9% say they are rather pessimistic about the coming winter, while just 28% are rather optimistic. The only age group to differ is young people aged 17-34, among whom optimists account for 54.2%. In all other age groups, pessimism exceeds 73%. Optimists also account for 41.5% of those who voted for New Democracy (ND) in 2023, compared with 22.2% of PASOK-KINAL voters and 10.5% of SYRIZA voters.
A slight improvement in household finances
The majority still struggle to make ends meet. Some 45.5% are just about getting by, while for 36.2% the money runs out before the month does. The trend is nevertheless showing a slight improvement: the proportion of those who cannot make ends meet has gradually fallen from 40% in October 2024, while the share of those saving money has risen to 18%.
How households are managing (%)| With monthly income… | Oct. 2024 | May 2026 | Oct. 2026 |
|---|
| They save some money | 15 | 16 | 18 |
| They just about get by | 44 | 46 | 46 |
| Their money runs out before the month ends | 40 | 38 | 36 |
Source: Metron Analysis
Young people are also better off in this respect: 26.4% of 17-34-year-olds save money, and just 21.2% cannot make ends meet. By contrast, the share unable to make ends meet rises to 43.1% among those aged 55-64.
High prices and housing top the list of concerns
For none of the survey’s 10 issues do those expecting improvement outnumber those who do not. Pessimism is highest over the cost of living: 80.6% expect supermarket prices to get worse, while 80.4% think the situation with fuel and energy will deteriorate. Crime (69.3%) and finding somewhere to live (65.9%) follow. Even among ND voters, 66% expect supermarket prices to worsen and 70% expect the same for fuel.
What people expect in the coming period (%)| Issue | Will improve | Will stay the same | Will get worse | Balance |
|---|
| Supermarket prices | 6.1 | 12.4 | 80.6 | -75 |
| Fuel/energy | 7.6 | 10.7 | 80.4 | -72 |
| Lawlessness/crime | 6.6 | 23.3 | 69.3 | -62 |
| Finding somewhere to live | 6.4 | 24.5 | 65.9 | -60 |
| Administration of justice | 11.2 | 40.5 | 46.1 | -35 |
| Education system | 10.4 | 41.7 | 45.6 | -36 |
| Healthcare | 13.3 | 43.6 | 41.8 | -29 |
| Response to natural disasters | 16.3 | 40.0 | 40.5 | -25 |
| Pay at work | 20.1 | 44.6 | 34.0 | -14 |
| The country’s geopolitical position | 18.5 | 47.4 | 31.5 | -13 |
Balance: “will improve” minus “will get worse”. The remaining percentages up to 100% are “Don’t know/No answer”. Source: Metron Analysis
The economic impact is clear. Among households that cannot make ends meet, 84% expect crime to worsen and 75% expect finding somewhere to live to become more difficult. Among households that save money, the corresponding figures are 53% and 52%.
Spring elections and the “paradox” of hope
Despite the gloomy mood, expectations of politics remain high. Ahead of the spring elections, 73.7% say they expect the government that emerges to bring improvement. Just 25.1% would be satisfied if things did not get worse. A majority in every party’s support base wants improvement, with figures ranging from 69.8% to 78.7%.
By combining the two questions, Metron Analysis has compiled an index of socio-political sentiment. “Hope despite pessimism” is the dominant sentiment. Some 52.7% are pessimistic about the winter but expect improvement from the next government. “Hope” is strongest precisely where pressure is greatest: it reaches 64% among those who cannot make ends meet.
Socio-political sentiment index by age (%)| | Total | 17-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ |
|---|
Optimism
optimistic + expect improvement | 22 | 40 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
Pragmatism
optimistic + think it is enough for things not to get worse | 7 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Hope
pessimistic + expect improvement | 53 | 27 | 55 | 63 | 61 | 61 |
Frustration
pessimistic + think it is enough for things not to get worse | 18 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 19 |
Source: Metron Analysis
Politics “can help”
The expectation is underpinned by a majority belief: 76.4% think politics can help improve people’s lives, compared with 22.7% who think otherwise. Those who believe it can see this happening mainly through institutional and collective channels:
- through government measures: 86%
- through the opposition’s demands: 72%
- through trade unions’ demands: 65%
- through personal favours: 22%
The figure for personal favours doubles to 46% among 17-34-year-olds and reaches 40% among those who place themselves on the right.
Those who do not believe in the power of politics turn primarily to the safety net of family and friends (72.1%). Fewer opt for individual strategies, such as everyone trying to manage on their own (53.1%) or finding “powerful friends/protectors” (46.8%).
Person or party?
Asked to choose between a party leader and a party, 51.3% say the leader’s personality matters more to their vote, while 43.3% say the party does. The leader’s personality carries more weight among ND voters (61.9%). The party matters more to PASOK-KINAL voters (56.4%) and those who place themselves on the left (67.1%).
The survey concludes that social pessimism could lead to collective despair. But it is “in the hands of politics” to turn it into a creative force. The findings support this: 80.3% of those who believe politics can help want improvement. Among those who do not believe it can, the figure is 51.9%.