The decision by the Supreme Court to remove Odysseas Michaelides from his position as the Auditor General has sparked widespread anger among a large segment of society, as evidenced by the online public opinion poll conducted by philenews in collaboration with Prime Market Research & Consulting Ltd.
The results of the survey are overwhelmingly against the Supreme Court’s decision and the Attorney General. Conversely, they are extremely positive for Odysseas Michaelides.
Additionally, there is a significant level of skepticism towards the President of the Republic, with the vast majority of participants blaming him for the outcome of the case. The survey also reveals a growing distrust in institutions.
Of particular significance is the size of the survey sample, which exceeded all previous records with a total of 15,452 successful responses.
This number leaves no room for doubt about the sentiment of the overwhelming majority of society.
82% disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision
In response to the main survey question, “Do you agree with the Supreme Court’s decision that renders Odysseas Michaelides incapable of continuing his duties?”, 78% strongly disagreed, and an additional 4% disagreed (a total of 82% disagreed).
12% strongly agreed, 3% agreed, and 3% did not answer. Notably, the highest level of disagreement was recorded among the 18-24 age group, reaching 90% (83% strongly disagreed, 7% disagreed).
A further 60% stated that they had expected the Supreme Court’s decision, while 37% said they had not.
Attorney General’s popularity plummets
In relation to the previous results, the responses to questions gauging the popularity of the Attorney General and the former Auditor General are also telling.
For the Attorney General, the results are as follows: 81% negative (65% strongly negative, 16% negative), 8% positive (4% strongly positive, 4% positive).
Conversely, for Odysseas Michaelides, 81% expressed a positive opinion (59% strongly positive, 22% positive), while only 10% expressed a negative opinion.
Trust in institutions shaken
The results regarding the question of whether the Supreme Court’s decision has shaken citizens’ trust in institutions are of exceptional importance and are also overwhelming.
Regarding the Law Office, 87% (81% very much, 6% much) stated that their trust had been shaken.
Conversely, for the Audit Office, 55% said not at all, 17% a little, 9% much, and 19% very much.
At least at the time of the decision, public opinion states that trust in the Judiciary has been shaken by 86% (78% very much, 8% much).
President Nikos Christodoulides’s popularity at an all-time low
Specifically, in response to the question, “What is your opinion of the President of the Republic?”, 71% (43% very negative, 28% negative) expressed a negative view.
The picture is even worse due to the fact that only 9% expressed a positive view (3% very positive, 6% positive). 20% expressed neither a positive nor a negative view.
One of the reasons for such a negative view of Nikos Christodoulides is that the majority of citizens hold him responsible for the outcome of the Odysseas Michaelides case and his removal from the position of Auditor General.
The overwhelming majority believes that he could have acted to prevent it but did nothing.
Specifically, 77% answered yes to the question of whether the crisis could have been avoided.
Answering how the crisis could have been avoided, the public’s response to the question, “Do you think the President of the Republic could have acted to prevent the crisis between the Prosecutor’s Office and the Audit Office?” is telling.
A resounding 84% answered yes, with only 11% saying no and 5% not answering.
63% want Odysseas to run for President in 2028
Additionally, the results of the question, “Do you believe Odysseas Michaelides should run in the 2028 elections as a presidential candidate?” are of great interest, as they open up a very intriguing prospect for the future in relation to the 2028 presidential elections.
Specifically, 63% answered yes, 22% no, and 15% did not answer. This is a very high percentage in an extremely large survey sample, which could potentially shape a very different political landscape in the future, assuming Odysseas Michaelides shows interest in getting involved in politics by running in the next presidential election.
In another survey question, it is noted that 79% of participants believe Odysseas Michaelides should appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. While this court cannot overturn the Supreme Court’s decision, it can provide moral vindication.
Survey Details
Sample Size: 15,452 successful interviews
Coverage: Nationwide
Sampling: Random sampling
Participants: Visitors to the philenews website
Information Collection Period: 09/18/2024 – 09/19/2024
Statistical Error: +/-1.5% (95% confidence interval)
