Germans prefer the austerity of tax cuts: survey (AFP)

BERLIN (AFP) - an overwhelming majority of Germans would prefer to see more austerity to reduce the debt instead of tax cuts promised by the Government, according to a survey published Friday.

Requested A "do you think it is more important to cut taxes or reduce new public debt?", 70% of respondents say that they preferred austerity compared with 24%, opt for tax cuts, in a poll by the Infratest-Dimap independent research firm opinion.

The survey reveals deep scepticism on the promise of Chancellor Angela Merkel to reduce the tax of an amount not specified in 2013, the year of the next scheduled general election and the general malaise may be over the eurozone debt crisis.

Forty - nine percent said that plans were not based on the State of German public finances, with 48% in support of tax relief.

Only a minority--36 percent - said they were convinced that tax cuts would be effectively implemented over the next two years while 62% said that they do not believe the promise of the Government.

Even if the tax cuts are approved, only two per cent thought that they would provide "significant relief" for their own household, against 52% thought that they would be "light relief" and 45 percent, which provided "no remedy".

In Germany, the largest contributor of bailouts of debt in the eurozone as its economy at the top of the page, on Wednesday forecast an unexpectedly strong reduced its public deficit in a draft budget for 2012 with solid economic growth.

Falling unemployment reduced payroll, and the national deficit should fall to 27.2 billion euros ($38.9 billion) from the previous estimate of EUR 31.5 billion.

The German deficit will wheelie by more than 17 billion euros in two years to a peak in 2010 resulting in large part of the rescue plans necessary to overcome the economic crisis.

But despite the booming economy and finance public relatively in good health, the Merkel Government sank in the polls because of quarrels internal coalition and the perception that the Chancellor has failed to carry out a clear on issues ranging from energy policy of the euro-zone debt crisis.

The Infratest dimap survey, 1,005 people Monday and Tuesday, with a 1.4 to 3.1% error margin, showed coalition under Merkel failing to win a majority with only 37% of support.

A potential alliance of the opposition of Social Democrats and Greens would win 49 percent of the vote, the survey.