Anti-Americanism in Greece Diminishing

Greeks are less anti-American today than they were a decade ago, and more than half would vote in favor of maintaining a U.S. military presence in the country if it were deemed to be in the nation’s interest, said an opinion poll published this week.

Eurodim, which conducted the poll for the opposition conservative New Democracy party, said “63% of Greeks believe their government should maintain a U.S. military presence here” if it served Greek national interests.

The poll stressed that Greeks are less anti-American today than they were a decade ago, when memories of the 1967-74 U.S.-supported military junta and the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus caused an “anti-American backlash” that led to the country’s first Socialist administration.