At the 2000 elections, the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) won 157 seats to the conservative New Democracy's 126. Minor parties won the remaining seats. PASOK have been in power with only one four-year break since 1981.

PASOK will be led into the elections by George Papandreou, son of the former Prime Minister, Andreas Papandreou, who succeeds the retiring prime minister, Costas Simitis. He will be opposed by New Democracy leader Costas Caramanlis, who is the nephew of former Prime Minister and President Constantine Caramanlis.

In January New Democracy was leading PASOK in opinion polls by 7%. But Papandreou's election to the party leadership allowed PASOK to regain ground. During February Papandreou campaigned on "the need for change" in Greece, hoping to neutralise the strong sentiment for a change of government. By late February New Democracy's lead in the opinion polls had been cut to 3%.

The Athens daily Kathemerini commented: "Now, two weeks before the elections, all opinion polls show PASOK 3 to 4.5 percentage points behind ND. This raises the question of whether PASOK can snatch victory away from ND. The fact is that much is unclear. For example, although PASOK has little support, its leader has a good image in public opinion polls."

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