Most Greeks question deals on debt relief, Macedonia name row: survey

Source: Xinhua| 2018-07-01 19:01:25|Editor: mmm
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ATHENS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Most Greeks question the two agreements the government reached in June this year on the Greek debt relief and the resolution of the Macedonia name row, according to a new survey released this weekend.

The 51 percent of respondents in the Metron Analysis poll conducted for "Ta Nea" (The News) newspaper viewed negatively the comprehensive deal on the new debt relief ahead of Greece's exit from the eight-year bailouts era this August.

According to pollsters, Greeks fear that the commitments undertaken will not help the growth of Greek economy. Participants remained pessimistic about the economic situation, with 53 percent stating that they were struggling more compared to last year to cope with the economic crisis.

There are, however, 34 percent of participants in the survey who expressed optimism over the future after the latest agreement

On the other hand, the 83 of respondents rejected the deal struck in early June aimed to put an end to the longstanding Macedonia name dispute with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Athens and Skopje have been at odds since 1991 when FYROM declared its independence and chose the name Macedonia for its region, which is also the name of a northern Greek province. Athens is worried that the use of the same name by the neighboring state could lead to territorial claims.

Following marathon UN-mediated negotiations the two sides agreed to rename the Balkan nation "The Republic of North Macedonia" despite strong protests in both countries.

Meanwhile, the 38 percent of respondents said that they wanted early elections, 31 percent said that they preferred that the current government completes its four-year term in September 2019, while 24 percent percent said that they'd rather see a national unity government under another Prime Minister taking over.

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