Greeks are EU’s most pessimistic
BRUSSELS – Being traditionally pessimistic even in good times, Greeks are particularly worried about the current financial crisis, with a Eurobarometer poll showing that nine out of 10 Greeks believe they have already been affected. With 88 percent admitting that the crisis has hurt them and 89 percent of the view that things will get worse, the Greeks are by far the most pessimistic citizens in the European Union, as these percentages are more than double the European average. Almost all respondents (97 percent) said that there have already been some negative impacts on the national economy, with 65 percent judging these effects to be »very serious.» Public opinion is split over whether the euro currency has protected Greece from even worse repercussions. About 51 percent say the euro has helped and 48 percent that it has made things worse and that the old drachma would have helped more. Finally, just 10 percent of Greeks think the government and the country can respond to the crisis without help from abroad, although this is higher than the corresponding percentage in Germany.
