Half of Germans Want to Scrap Euro, Bring Back Deutsche Mark

Almost half of Germans what to see the Deutsche Mark restored, with just 41 per cent saying they want to keep the euro.

The YouGov-Institute survey, commissioned by the newspaper Bild, found that 49 per cent of Germans want their nation to have its own, independent currency again.

Meanwhile, 41 per cent of those questioned wanted to stay with the euro, the single currency of the European Union (EU).

Nearly 77 per cent of the 1,068 Germans quizzed thought they had not profited from the adoption of the euro currency.

A decisive 60 per cent said they would vote against having it if it were to be introduced today – compared with 30 per cent who would opt for it today.

Despite the widespread dissatisfaction and concern, a majority of respondents believe the currency would still be around 20 years from now.

Currently, 19 of 28 EU member states use the euro, forming the Eurozone, and Germany joined when the currency was launched in 1999.

The Greek debt crisis, which came to a head in 2016, is widely seen a turning point for the currency.

The Greek government had overspent and the German economy was running a surplus, saving up cash. The German taxpayer was then effectively forced to bail out Greece, seeding resentment.

The development comes as Germany and France agree to push towards deeper fiscal integration including the possible creation of a European finance minister and a single budget for the bloc.

Speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel this weekend, French President Emmanuel Macron restated his desire to create a European Union (EU) finance minister to be responsible for a joint eurozone budget.

Germany and Mrs. Merkel’s government have been slightly more cautious about the plan, but are aiming to resolve the difference in coming months.

“There are different suggestions on the table, and I discussed with the French president yesterday that we will bring positions together by March,” Chancellor Merkel said at a joint press conference with Macron at the end of the European Council summit in Brussels.

She said there was agreement that “we aim for a banking union” and that finance ministers would negotiate the steps to advance that project.