Galery

1

U.S. President Barack Obama expressed his concern for the Greek economy in an interview for the Russian television Channel Rossiya. “The Europeans understand that the problem is serious. Greece is undertaking some very difficult reforms - or at least adopted a plan that provides for tough measures in the future”, considers the most influential politician on the planet. "The Greek crisis and the subsequent concussions in the global economy show a new kind of foreign threats to the prosperity of the powerful nations," says further Barack Obama.
    In Greece, three agencies for sociologic surveys register the mixed feelings with which the Greeks meet the agreement signed in the early hours of Saturday between the Greek Government, the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. According to the company Public Issue 68 per cent of workers in the public sector, 69 percent of workers in the private sector and 73 per cent of the already unemployed have declared to be against the measures for financial stabilization. 8 out of 10 respondents say that the measures are unfair. The figures are interpreted as extremely negative towards the new measures, having in mind that their application has not yet begun, specify experts from Public Issue. Only 25 percent of the voters approve the financial stabilization package. More precisely, out of the people who voted for the socialist government of George Papandreou only 32 percent approve "the tightening of the belts" and 52 percent are against it. 9 out of every 10 respondents believe that the measures will adversely affect their personal and family life, only one third of the Greeks have believed the government's claim that the agreement with the IMF and the EU is the only way out for the country.
    From Public Issue experts specify that there are two factors that will limit outbreaks of social discontent such as strikes, protests, marches and demonstrations. The first is the poor participation of the youth so far in the organized protests compared to protests in the period 2006-2008, and most of all in December 2008. The second factor is that citizens do not believe that protests and demonstrations will change something in their lives. Despite the general disapproval of the measures 79 per cent of the respondents think they will anyway be applied and 80 percent believe that the strikes will not have any effect. The protests, however, face tremendous approval among public sector employees - 78 per cent. For this reason, Public Issue does not exclude the possibility of paralysis of the entire public sector.
    Another study of the agency Kappa Research shows a different picture of public sentiments in Greece. According to Kappa Research 55,2 percent of the Greeks accept the reforms, and 44.6 percent of them have declared to be against the measures. 56.3 percent of the respondents answer that they prefer a the wage-cut to the bankruptcy of the State and 74.8 percent say that they want Greece to remain in the eurozone. 71.3 percent want that the opposition shows some sense of national responsibility and supports the measures. Nevertheles, when asked if after the tragic events of Wednesday the protests should stop only 45.3 percent agree, while the majority of 53.2 per cent want their demonstrations. To another question: "If you are not satisfied with Papandreou’s government, where do you belive will the solution for Greece come from?" the biggest majority of respondents 68 per cent state that there is no other solution, 14.3 per cent seek to the solution within the political center, 10 percent to the right of the center and 9.7 percent to the left.
    Most Greeks support the financial assistance package from the IMF and the EU, despite of the stringent financial constraints it entails, shows also a research of another one of the sociologic agenciece - ALCO. According ALCO 54,2 percent of Greeks prefer the financial aid package, and 33.2 percent of them are against it, even if the price of its rejection is the bankruptcy of the state. 51.4 per cent of the respondents believe that exiting the economic crisis will come with more sacrifices, and 28 percent believe the solution is in most strikes and demonstrations.