Poll: Greeks Say EU ‘Moving in the Wrong Direction’

Athens, Syntagma square. Photo: Visit Greece / Y. Skoulas

Prior to the EU parliamentary elections on Sunday, May 26, Greeks appear to be wary of the EU with a 60 percent majority claiming it is “moving in the wrong direction”, according to a poll released recently by MRB on behalf of the German political Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Photo source: European Commission

According to the survey, 64.1 percent of Greek respondents said Greece had certainly or probably benefited from its EU membership, while 33.4 percent said Greece did not gain from its participation in the Union.

With regard to trust, a mere 28.8 percent said they trusted the EU, moving up from 17.3 percent in December 2016. Trust in other EU entities was also limited at 25.5 percent in the European Parliament and 20 percent in the European Central Bank (ECB).

History and culture are according to 43,2 percent of the Greeks polled, the most important Greek contribution to the EU ideal.

On the other hand, more than half (58.2 percent) said the 28-member EU bloc benefited more from Greece’s participation and not the other way around.

Greece was the first (associate) member of enlargement efforts (EC) in 1961, becoming a full member of the European Economic Community (EEC) – precursor of the EU – in 1981.

Referring to the euro, 10 percent said Greece should do away with the single currency, 43.7 said they felt “trapped” by the euro, and 35.7 percent said they remained loyal to the euro.

At the same time, 46.6 percent of the respondents said they trust the Greek government, 44.4 percent the municipalities, 42.1 percent regional government and 41.2 percent local government.

The family (81 percent), the armed forces (75.8 percent), the Church/Greek citizens (64.8 percent), universities and the police were the top trusted institutions, according to MRB’s poll carried out on a sample of 1,001 Greeks from May 10 to 15.