Germans more sceptical than French about euro: poll

(BERLIN) - Nearly two thirds of Germans think they would be better off if they had not swapped the deutschmark for the euro but French people seem more positive towards the single currency, a poll indicated Monday.

Some 65 percent of Germans thought their personal situation would be better if they still had the mighty deutschmark, compared to 36 percent of French who miss the franc, according to the survey by Germany's Bertelsmann Foundation.

The Germans are also less attached to the European Union, suggested the poll, which was conducted July 3 to 8 in both countries.

Some 49 percent of those Germans questioned said they would be personally better off if the EU did not exist, compared to 34 percent of French who said they would be better, or much better off without the EU.

The poll, also carried out in Poland, showed only 28 percent of Poles believed they would be better without the EU.

Nevertheless, despite their apparent scepticism about the euro on a personal level, 69 percent of Germans said they believed the EU was a model for the rest of the world, compared to 56 percent of French and 59 percent of Poles.

The survey was conducted by telephone among 1,001 people in Germany, 1,004 in France and 1,000 in Poland.