VIENNA (Bloomberg) -- Deutsche Bank AG Chief Executive Officer Josef Ackermann, in a reversal, said he’s confident Greece can repay its debt because the nation is committed to reform.

“I’m confident that based on the personal commitment given by the prime minister to implement the necessary reforms -- however difficult they are, even sacrificing his own political future -- convinces me it will happen,” Ackermann told reporters in Vienna on Saturday after a speech by Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou. “It will enable them to service their debt.”
Ackermann’s reversal is at odds with the sentiment expressed in a quarterly poll of investors and analysts who are Bloomberg subscribers. In the poll, published June 9, 73 percent of respondents called a default by Greece likely.
Papandreou, who drew repeated applause and standing ovations from bankers gathered at the Institute of International Finance conference in Vienna, said he’s committed to reform even if that means he fails to get reelected.
“We will honor our contracts with the financial community and yes, we will pay our debt,” said the lawmaker, who also said the nation will pass laws to curtail bureaucracy and corruption and encourage investment.
Ackermann said on May 13 that Greece may not be able to repay its debt in full. It would require “incredible efforts,” he said at the time. The Deutsche Bank CEO said on Saturday that the Greek prime minister’s presentation and measures to reduce the nation’s budget gap have made him change his views.
“I strongly believe that a person can make a difference,” Ackermann said. “CEOs as well as politicians.”
The poll of investors, traders and analysts in six continents was conducted June 2-3 by Selzer & Co., a Des Moines, Iowa-based firm. It was based on interviews with a random sample of 1,001 Bloomberg subscribers, representing decision-makers in markets, finance and economics, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.