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Athens - Most Greeks disapprove of Prime Minister Georges Papandreou's decision to seek aid from the International Monetary Fund and European Union, and fear it will spark social unrest, a poll said Tuesday.
According to the survey for Mega television, the first published since the premier made his request last Friday, 60.9% of Greeks are opposed to his government's move and 70.2% do not want the IMF to lend money to Greece.
More than 51% of those questioned said they did not believe the government's economic policy was headed in the right direction and 67.4% predicted the aid request would herald social unrest, according to the survey of 1 400 people which was conducted by the Public Opinion organisation.
Greece is trying to nail down an EU-IMF financial package worth €45bn to ease its mounting debt crisis ahead of a May 19 deadline to pay bondholders some €9bn.
Opposition politicians and unions have said the IMF's involvement will force Greece to undertake even more drastic spending cuts than those currently planned by the government.
Unions have staged a series of strikes in the last few months to protest austerity measures, with clashes between protestors and police frequently breaking out.
- Sapa-AFP
