Ve Vant Out
Eurozone unites as Merkel feels heat from her voters | The Times
More than half of Germans believe that their country would be better off leaving the euro.
The poll in Bild Am Sonntag, which showed that 51 per cent thought it was time to revert to the mark, was published as Angela Merkel and Mario Monti affirmed their willingness to “do everything” to save the single currency.
The newspaper’s poll also showed that 71 per cent of Germans wanted Greece to leave the euro should it not live up to its austerity promises.
Senior German politicians echoed this sentiment. Philipp Rösler, the Economy Minister, said that there were “considerable doubts whether Greece is living up to its reform promises”.
Athens is struggling to find a further €11.5 billion in savings to fill a budget black hole while international inspectors continue to examine progress towards reforms needed to justify bailout payments. Their audit report will determine whether Greece will receive the next instalment, worth €31.5 billion, in September. “The implementation [of the reforms] is faltering,” Mr Rösler said. “There is still no functioning tax office. Also, almost nothing has happened in terms of the promised privatisation of public assets.
“If Greece does not fulfil its obligations, there can be no more money. Then Greece would be insolvent.”