Greeks want unity government, euro, polls show

Source: Beta

ATHENS -- Most Greeks are in favor of a national emergency government which was proposed by socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou, polls showed on Sunday.

(Beta, file)

Despite the unpopular austerity measures, Greeks are still hugely in favor of keeping the single currency, the surveys showed.

The Protothema poll by the Alco surveying group suggested that 78 percent of people wanted to keep the euro, with only 11 percent favoring a return to Greece's old currency, the drachma.

The Ethnos survey, conducted by Marc, showed an even greater proportion, 81 percent, in favor of keeping the euro.

A survey published in mass circulation weekly Protothema showed that 52 percent of people wanted a unity government to lead Greece out of the debt crisis, with 36 percent in favor of early elections.

A similar poll in the left-leaning weekly Ethnos showed a slightly narrower percentage, 45 percent in favor of a unity government, but still outweighing those who want early elections, 42 percent. The same poll shows that ten percent of the citizens would like Papandreou’s socialist government to remain in power.