Although most Greeks claim to be deeply concerned about the environment — deeming it as important as other social and economic issues — only half think politicians take these concerns into account when making important decisions.

According to results just released of a Eurobarometer survey of 7,500 Europeans in April, 90 percent of Greeks (slightly higher than the European average of 88.5 percent) are worried about the environment and its effect on people’s health. The survey also showed that 86 percent of both Greeks and Europeans as a whole expressed concern about the use of natural resources and waste management.

With Greece boasting some of Europe’s cleanest beaches, only 38.5 percent of Greeks said they were concerned about the quality of the water they swim in, compared to the European average of 40 percent.

In a country well-known for its traffic accidents, the percentage of Greeks expressing qualms about the situation on the roads (48 percent) was slightly — and surprisingly — lower than in Europe overall (49.5 percent).