German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her predecessor Helmut Kohl during a reception in Berlin in 2007.Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images/AFP / Getty Images
Two thirds of Germans surveyed in a poll think their parliament should not ratify more money for the euro zone bailout fund and agree with former chancellor Helmut Kohl that Angela Merkel's government is undermining Germany's influence abroad.
Centre-right Chancellor Merkel is trying to face down a threatened revolt in her own bloc in parliament over a Sept. 29 vote to ratify more money and powers for the euro rescue fund.
She was also publicly criticized by her ex-mentor Mr. Kohl, Germany's longest-serving post-war chancellor and architect of German reunification, over policy on Europe, the United States and Libya, saying Berlin had "no view or idea" about where it was going.
An opinion poll by Infratest dimap for public broadcaster ARD suggested 68 per cent of Germans agree with Mr. Kohl's comments published in a magazine last week, while 66 per cent think Ms. Merkel's government has "lost its grip" on the euro crisis.
Two thirds said they were opposed to giving more funds for the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and over half were against introducing common euro-zone bonds – a proposal the German government has energetically rejected so far.
At the same time, 64 per cent believed European countries should coordinate policy more closely, suggesting most Germans are reluctant to fund more bailouts but are not "euro-skeptic" in the broader sense.