Spain between resignation and hope

Abstract

The economic and fi nancial crisis has hit Spain harder than practically any other country in Europe. Even if there are occasional reports that the Spanish economy is improving slightly, the unemployment rate remains at 25 per cent — and is as high as 54 per cent among Spain’s young people. The data presented in this article, which were obtained via a representative survey of the Spanish population, paint an ambivalent portrait of a country that is hovering between resignation and hope. Above all, the fi ndings clearly show how little confi dence the people of Spain have in their government’s ability to solve the current problems and how adamantly they reject proposed economic reforms.