Most Spaniards want the government to open talks with ETA after a permanent ceasefire by the Basque separatist group came into effect midnight Thursday, a survey released Friday said.

Over 80 percent of the questioned said Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's government should open dialogues with ETA in order to achieve a definitive end to violence, according to the Opina poll released by the private Cadena Ser radio station.

ETA's cease-fire came into force right after midnight Thursday, raising hopes for a definitive end to violence in Spain after decades of bombings and assassinations.

Forty-seven percent of those polled said the ceasefire would mark "the beginning of the end of terrorist violence," while 34 percent said the ceasefire was a "trick" by ETA.

A total of 1,000 people were questioned in the poll conducted on Thursday.

Source: Xinhua