Greeks feel safer in EU while pessimistic about the future

An overwhelming majority of Greeks support the Euro and reject an exit of Greece from the eurozone, according to a new poll published yesterday.
58.1 percent of those surveyed by Kappa Research said they feel more security because Greece is a member of the European Union.

However  most of Greeks do not expect to exit from the debt crisis soon. The 38.3 percent believe that it will take up to five years for Greece to emerge from the crisis. 27.4 percent said it would take between five to 10 years while 31.8 percent think that Greece will emerge from the crisis after more than a decade.

Despite denouncing the harsh austerity measures, about 42.3 percent Greek people are not willing to take part in the demonstrations, even though 67.8 percent said that they had felt the effect of the crisis on their family incomes and lifestyle.

When questioned about changes in the life-style due to the crisis, 39 percent of Greeks said that they now buy more economic products and services, 38.5 percent buy only what is absolutely necessary to cover basic needs and nine percent replied that they have not made any changes yet.

32.8 percent hold the previous center-right government of Kostas Karamanlis responsible for the crisis, 10 percent think that the current PASOK government of George Papandreou is to blame, while 55.2 percent said that both governments are responsible.

55.5 percent of Greeks belive that the EU-IMF safety net will be enough to support the Greek economy out of the crisis while 32.5 percent still express concern that the country might not evade bankruptcy after all.

56.7 percent citizens rejected suggestions by Left parties that Greece should re-negotiate its debt and delay payments to investors of Greek bonds.

Asked about their opinion of foreign leaders  79.9 percent of Greeks rejected the German Chancellor Angela Merkel due to Berlin's stance on the Greek debt crisis while 76.6 percent praised French President Nicolas Sarkozy and 73.7 percent praised Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.