Opinion divided over new Greek government, poll indicates
Greeks are divided over whether the new coalition government can tackle the country?s problems, according to the latest survey by Public Issue.
The poll, conducted for Kathimerini and Skai, indicated that 45 percent of Greeks have some level of confidence that the administration — comprising conservative New Democracy, socialist PASOK and Democratic Left — can find a way out of a deepening crisis that has plunged the country into an unprecedented recession and sent the unemployment rate spiraling. A slightly smaller proportion — 43 percent — said they were inclined to believe that the government could not deal with the situation.
Of the respondents questioned, only 12 percent said they were confident that the government could rise to the myriad challenges it faces.
There has, however, been a substantial drop in the percentage of people who feel Greece is heading in the wrong direction. In May, this figure was at 86 percent but it has now dropped to 66 percent.
There remains, however, great skepticism about the political parties, with 39 percent of those questioned saying they do not trust any parties as capable of governing effectively.
Democratic Left is the most popular of all the parties with an approval rating of 60 percent. Its leader, Fotis Kovelis, remains the most popular of the party chiefs, although support for Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has risen from 36 percent to 50 percent.
A total of 1,004 people were questioned for the survey, which was carried out between July 5 and 10.
