The Europeans, the Crisis and the World

Abstract

The economic and financial crisis, which has been in full swing in Europe for the last four years has established in most of these countries expectations that are marked by a distinct note of pessimism. In the spring Eurobarometer 20121, 60% of those interviewed believed that in terms of the impact of the crisis on the employment market “the worst is yet to come” (cf. map 1). Of course pessimism is at its highest in the countries most affected by the crisis: Portugal (78%), Greece (77%), Spain (72%), Italy (62%) but the opinions of the most prosperous countries such as Finland, Luxembourg and even the UK are also marked by a high rate of pessimism. At 59%, France still lies within the European average. However seven countries, including five in Central and Eastern Europe avoid these morose forecasts to some extent: Slovakia (49%), Latvia (49%), Denmark (45%), Austria (44%), Estonia (44%), Romania (42%) and Bulgaria (40%). In these more “optimistic” countries, the unemployment rate is relatively low (Austria and Denmark) or also high (Latvia, Bulgaria). Economic and social indicators of well-being are not the only means to illustrate what the Europeans think of the crisis. Of course the attitude of the most impoverished social categories is marked by pessimism: 66% of the unemployed, 61% of workers, 65% of those who left school at 15 or under believe that “the worst is yet to come” but this also applies to 51% of students and 58% of executives. In 2012, pessimism about the effects of the crisis seems to be “the best shared thing in the world”. In all age categories and in all social classes pessimism rules. It peaks (71%) amongst Europeans who believe that “globalisation is not an opportunity”.