Chancellor Angela Merkel may appear to be the victor in the Greek bailout standoff, but many Germans looked on in dismay at the heavy cost to the country's image.

Merkel and her hard-line finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, drove a tough bargain at the marathon negotiations, in line with Berlin's stated goal of defending the cause of fiscal rectitude.

But while Merkel, often called Europe's de facto leader, has grown used to Nazi caricatures on the streets of Athens, a backlash appeared to be mounting this time at home too.