Germans gloomy on economy, Merkel support firm: poll

Angela Merkel

More than half of Germans are pessimistic about the economy but support for Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives is holding firm, thanks partly to their tough stance on the euro zone, according to an opinion poll published today.

The Forsa-Institute survey, published in the Stern weekly, also showed Merkel's junior coalition partner, the Free Democrats, which has said Greece should quit the euro, back above the five percent threshold needed to enter parliament.

Fifty-seven percent of those polled had a pessimistic view of Germany's economic outlook, while only 12 percent were optimistic - a gap of 45 points which is the widest margin since October 2008 when the global financial crisis hit.


Read more: Germans gloomy on economy, Merkel support firm: poll | Reuters