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Stern: Majority of Germans would accept Grexit

What do Germans think of Grexit?  The financial situation of Greece has split the German public opinion. In a poll conducted for German weekly STERN, a narrow majority would accept Greece abandoning the eurozone.

Whether the heavily indebted Greece will receive additional billion credits depends on the implementation of the reforms demanded by the euro countries in return for their third aid package.

Without these loans, the country could no longer afford repayments due in July and would be bankrupt.

A small majority of 53 percent of German citizens argue against further payments to Greece.

In contrast, 40% support further payments. Supporters come from the Green Party(52%), from Die Linke (51%) and from the FDP (51%).


42% want Greece to remain in the eurozone.

45% of the respondents said that in order to get back on its feet, Greece needs a debt cut as also required by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

 47% reject that creditors should refrain claiming back a part of their loans.

 42% want to keep Greece in the eurozone under all circumstances.

52% would accept Greece’s withdrawal form the eurozone. Among them, supporters of far-right AfD at 75%.

Data basis: Poll conducted 16.-17. February, 2017 by the Forsa-Institut among a sample of 1002 people determined by a computer-controlled random sample. The statistical error is +/- 3 percentage points.

I suppose more poll details, also about CDU, CSU and SPD supporters, are in the print edition of STERN.

Meanwhile, in Germany chief of left-wing party Die Linke, Sahra Wagenknecht, suggest Greece is better off if it leaves the eurozone.

PS Me thinks, we need a poll: Do you believe it will be better for the eurozone if Germany returns to its own currency?

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9 comments

  1. If Germany leaves Eurozone Euro will collapse completely.

    • Giaourti Giaourtaki

      Uiii, and I thought this would be very good for exports, not?
      But it’s brilliant for Greek debts vanished into void from default inside Euro

    • If Germany leaves the eurozone, with a managed transition, the euro will decline to a level more suitable for the greek economy. The new DM would be overvalued, and the German export markets would be badly hit, and the german economy would suffer.
      ~
      So of course the Germans will not agree to lose money. They prefer to see Greece and others suffer, so that Germany prospers.

      • The Germans want it all ways. The Euro cannot be maintained long term without there is Fiscal Union, which means the Germans have to pony up the dosh. They wont do it – willingly anyway. They see their export surplus stacking up, but a huge chuck of that is an illusion. The Target 2 balances, in essence German savings, are lost.

        The longer this mess that is the Euro continues the worse will be the catastrophe. Germany leaving the Euro would be a beginning at sorting out the mess, but the suffering will still be huge.

    • No it will not. D-Mark would rise against the Euro. The Euro would fall against the dollar but all that would price Germany out of the market while improving competitiveness of the other Eurozone countries.

  2. Giaourti Giaourtaki

    Wagenknecht “only” tries to get AFD-voters who will call any too friendly deal between Lagarde and Merkel conspiracy but the poll shows that except for the extreme right voters German propaganda wasn’t successful – may be last year too many diplomas were made in university analysing the German anti-Greek hunt and got published…

  3. Well KTG, I think you might find a majority of Europeans in the Eurozone in favor of that poll.

    • I run one on Twitter. Results later today.

      • Yeah, just saw it. Nice one! Not so many votes but they it was just a spur of the moment thing I assume. I hope the news would pick this up and sets something Europe wide in motion.