Fifty-five percent of Italians have lost confidence in the euro single currency and nearly a third think it would be better to return to the lira, an opinion poll showed on Monday.

The survey by pollsters ISPO, published in the Corriere della Sera daily, said 65 percent of those polled thought the introduction of the euro had been more damaging than beneficial for the Italian economy.

Confidence in the European Union stood at 51 percent, the lowest level in many years, Corriere said.

The poll highlights growing concerns over the future of the single currency among Italians as the euro zone's third largest economy struggles with a spreading debt crisis that has pushed its borrowing costs to unsustainable levels.

The technocrat government of Prime Minister Mario Monti, appointed in November, has pushed through a painful austerity budget including tax hikes and spending cuts that are hitting Italians hard, while the economy heads toward recession.

Monti's approval rating rose to 56 percent from 46 percent a month ago, the ISPO survey showed and 60 percent of those interviewed said Italy had had to join the euro and there was no going back. But 31 percent said they would prefer a return to the lira.

Italy, whose-debt-to-GDP ratio is second only to Greece in the euro zone at 120 percent, was among a raft of European countries hit by a mass downgrade from Standard & Poor's on Friday, with its sovereign rating cut by two notches to BBB+.

funny that- Majority of Euros never trusted the wops: poll

Nappybonesapart wrote:

funny that- Majority of Euros never trusted the wops: poll

You know Nappy, you are a xenophobe. Call them Italians. Show a little bit more respect,would you ?

These are all just parts of a bigger puzzle. Rather,.. all just single dominoes, starting to line up with each other,...

not really, most of my friends are rellys are Chinks 8^),

but come on Simp the italians are a nation of thieves, my first gf from Modena even stole my virginity

You should make some researches on Xenophobia in Festung Europa. You may find that the flinch are often the worst. It is known. Why else would there be so many riots in FarSSe?

simplefrench wrote:

Nappybonesapart wrote:

funny
that- Majority of Euros never trusted the wops: poll

You know Nappy, you are a xenophobe. Call them Italians. Show a little bit more respect,would you ?

There is actually nothing wrong with the Euro as such. If governments had not borrowed money that they really cannot afford to, then there wouldn't be a Euro crisis. Still there are advantages to being out of the Euro. Britain for 30 years pursued even crazier economic policies than the club med Euro zone members, but we can devalue and set our own interest rates. The Euro will work only if the members follow a strict set of rules.

mikgof wrote:

There is actually nothing wrong with the Euro as such. If governments had not borrowed money that they really cannot afford to, then there wouldn't be a Euro crisis. Still there are advantages to being out of the Euro. Britain for 30 years pursued even crazier economic policies than the club med Euro zone members, but we can devalue and set our own interest rates. The Euro will work only if the members follow a strict set of rules.

Your first statement is contradictory - the problem with the euro (as such) is exactly as you stated in the second half. Member states have different cultures, different ideals on social programs and spending and who should be left to pay for it. Germany could have made the euro work if every other member state had and held to the same economic beliefs and practices.

That didn't happen, and it's been pretty obvious for years that it wasn't about to change.

euro is a 1 engine fit all solution

kraut economy is a sports car
Greeks are a 2CV

Italians still make damn good food.......better than French by a wide margin.

More "happy" eu members!!!