The proportion of Germans in favour of a Greek exit from the euro zone has risen again in June, and an increasing number of Germans believe that a Greek exit is imminent.
The Greek sovereign debt crisis continues to rumble on, with the Greek government edging ever closer to a default. Last weekend, negotiations were cut short when IMF representatives walked out of talks without reaching a deal. Although talks are still being held on several levels, a growing number of experts and politicians believe that Greece will soon be leaving the Euro.
The latest research from YouGov Germany shows that an increasing number of Germans think a Greek exit in the coming months is likely as well.
Around half of the respondents (49 percent) think it is "somewhat" or "very likely" that Greece leaves the euro zone in the next six months, whereas 41 percent believe it is "somewhat" or "very unlikely". When YouGov last asked the question in May, the outcome was reversed. At that time, half of respondents (50 percent) felt that an exit was unlikely, and 39 percent thought it was likely.
The number of Germans in favour of a “Grexit” has also risen, but only slightly – 58% would now prefer it if Greece left the Eurozone, up on the percentages in April and May, but still short of March’s peak, when 59% were in favour of a “Grexit”.
There has also been little change in the German public’s evaluation of the negotiations themselves. As in previous month’s, Germans still tend to think the Eurogroup have the upper hand in the negotiations (43%), slightly less than in May (48%). Meanwhile, those that think Greece has the upper hand has increased from 14% to 18%. A further 28% believe neither party currently has the upper hand.
Although German chancellor Angela Merkel has said that a deal is still possible, it is unclear how. IMF boss Christine Lagarde has said that there will “no period of grace” after the current repayment is due on June 30th. It is also unclear if and how Greek will stay part of the European Union if it has to leave the Euro.
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More information at YouGov.de
