ATHENS, Sept 4 (Reuters) - More than half of Greeks want Prime Minister George Papandreou to reshuffle his Socialist cabinet to improve its performance as it struggles to reduce a debt mountain, a poll indicated on Saturday.
Papandreou is likely to reshuffle his team in the coming days to free up candidates for municipal elections in November, but he is not expected to make changes that could affect efforts to deal with the debt crisis.
The survey, conducted by the MRB agency on Sept 1-2 for the Sunday newspaper Real News, indicated that 57.6 percent of 1,000 respondents thought the government's performance was deteriorating.
Nearly as many, 57.2 percent, wanted a reshuffle. Another poll by the GPO pollsters in the past week also suggested that about 60 percent favoured a reshuffle.
Nevertheless, the government's overall ratings are around the same levels as in an MRB poll in May, just after Greece agreed to tax hikes and salary and pension cuts in exchange for a 110 billion-euro bailout by the EU and the IMF.
Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou is among the most popular ministers, but Economy Minister Louka Katseli heads the list of those that Greeks would like to go, the poll indicated.
Papandreou was still the most popular leader with 34.6 percent support, although his score is slipping, according to the MRB poll.
The poll also suggested that 45.9 percent think Greece will eventually default on its foreign debt, while 49.8 percent do not.
(Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Keywords: GREECE POLL/ (renee.maltezou@reuters.com; +30 210 3376439, Reuters Messaging:renee.maltezou.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Papandreou is likely to reshuffle his team in the coming days to free up candidates for municipal elections in November, but he is not expected to make changes that could affect efforts to deal with the debt crisis.
The survey, conducted by the MRB agency on Sept 1-2 for the Sunday newspaper Real News, indicated that 57.6 percent of 1,000 respondents thought the government's performance was deteriorating.
Nearly as many, 57.2 percent, wanted a reshuffle. Another poll by the GPO pollsters in the past week also suggested that about 60 percent favoured a reshuffle.
Nevertheless, the government's overall ratings are around the same levels as in an MRB poll in May, just after Greece agreed to tax hikes and salary and pension cuts in exchange for a 110 billion-euro bailout by the EU and the IMF.
Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou is among the most popular ministers, but Economy Minister Louka Katseli heads the list of those that Greeks would like to go, the poll indicated.
Papandreou was still the most popular leader with 34.6 percent support, although his score is slipping, according to the MRB poll.
The poll also suggested that 45.9 percent think Greece will eventually default on its foreign debt, while 49.8 percent do not.
(Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Keywords: GREECE POLL/ (renee.maltezou@reuters.com; +30 210 3376439, Reuters Messaging:renee.maltezou.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.