Opinion poll shows narrow lead for supporters of Greek bailout terms

Supporters of Greece's bailout terms have taken a wafer-thin opinion poll lead over the 'no' vote backed by the leftist government, two days before a referendum that may determine the country's future in the euro zone.

The poll by the respected ALCO institute, published in the newspaper yesterday, put the 'yes' camp on 44.8 per cent against 43.4 per cent for the 'no' vote. But the lead was well within the pollster's 3.1 percentage point margin of error, with 11.8 per cent saying they were still undecided.

Given a volatile public mood and a string of recent election results that ran counter to opinion poll predictions, the result is in effect completely open.

With banks closed all week, withdrawals rationed and commerce seizing up, the vote could decide whether Greece gets another last-ditch financial rescue in exchange for more harsh austerity measures or plunges deeper into economic crisis.

It could also determine whether Greece becomes the first country to crash out of the 19-nation European single currency area, membership of which is meant to be irrevocable.

The survey found that 74 per cent of Greeks wanted to stay in the euro, while just 15 per cent wanted to return to a national currency, with 11 per cent still undecided.