Greeks are bracing for a long and deep recession ahead as it begins to dawn on them that the cost of fixing the country’s public finances will entail years of economic hardship and high unemployment.

In recent public opinion polls, but also in the media, the business community, and even in ordinary dinner conversation, the feeling is that it will take several years for the Greece to emerge from its economic crisis and that there is much pain to come before things improve.

“I have no doubt that we will remain in recession in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and that the recession will deepen. It won’t be until the first half of 2013 that we will see a recovery,” said Yanos Gramatidis, president of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce. “And I think most people have grasped that.”