ATHENS--A new opinion poll released Thursday showed that three quarters of Greeks want to remain "at any price" in the eurozone as the country prepares for elections this month which have raised fears it could exit the single currency.
According to the GPO institute poll, 75.7 percent of those surveyed responded affirmatively when asked if Greece should remain "at any price in the eurozone".
Around 22.3 percent responded negatively.
The poll result is in line with previous surveys which have shown that most Greeks are in favour of being part of Europe's single currency area despite tough austerity measures which had to be taken in order for the debt-hit country to receive an international bailout.
Fears of a "Grexit" -- Greek exit from the eurozone -- have resurfaced as the country has called a snap election for January 25 in which the leftist anti-austerity Syriza party is leading in the polls.
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras of the conservative New Democracy party has described the legislative elections as a referendum on euro membership.
In another poll published in the daily Ta Nea, 59.2 percent of respondents think there is still a risk of Greece leaving the euro and around 40.5 percent think it will.
In the pre-election surveys Syriza remains in the lead with 28.5 percent support, compared with 25.3 percent for Samaras's party.
At the same time, 40.3 percent said they think Samaras is the one best suited to be prime minister against 34.9 percent in favour of Syriza's leader Alexis Tsipras.
AFP
