Greece makes payment, faces vote on debt plan in parliament

A large majority of Greeks want to stay in the eurozone, despite the ravages of the Greek crisis, according to an opinion poll here in Athens. The survey, carried out for an Athens daily newspaper, shows that nearly three-quarters of respondents wants Greece to keep the euro, with one-fifth favouring a return to the drachma.

The poll result is encouraging for Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who this week is fighting to heal a wide split in his Syriza party over the latest bailout agreement which is designed, in part, to keep Greece in the eurozone.

Click below to hear the latest report from John Carr in Athens

A crucial parliamentary vote on this is due Wednesday, as at least a quarter of Syriza deputies have signalled they’ll vote against a second batch of austerity measures.  Tsipras is trying to contain the rebellion in the Syriza ranks by leaving hot-button issues such as higher taxes for farmers and a cut in pension rights for a later vote.

Meanwhile, the same poll shows the Syriza party as still the voters’ favourite with 42 percent, double the support for the main opposition, the conservative New Democracy.  And Tsipras himself, for all the grumbling in Syriza, still has a long lead in the popularity stakes.