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Latest update: 04/01/2011
- France - opinion polls
Unhappy New Year: France tops misery poll
A new Gallup poll of national moods finds that the French top the charts for pessimism when it comes to their economic outlook for 2011. People in developing economies, by contrast, tend to view the coming year more positively.
By FRANCE 24 (text)
Now that the fireworks have been put out and the New Year’s bubbly downed, Europeans are ringing in 2011 in a far more downbeat mood, with the French the most pessimistic of them all, according to a recently published international poll on national moods.
A BVA-Gallup poll of 53 countries found the French the world champions of scepticism, with 61% of respondents saying 2011 will be “a year of economic difficulty.” Runners up included Britons at 52%, Spaniards (48%), and Italians (41%).
The poll found that 67% of French respondents believed unemployment would rise over the next 12 months. Employment was also a major concern in the UK, with 74% of Britons believing unemployment would increase. Pakistan came a close second at 72%.
The overall negative sentiment in Europe comes in stark contrast to the emerging economies in Asia, South America and Africa, where citizens are generally optimistic about the New Year.
In Brazil, India and China, 49% of respondents said they believed 2011 would be economically prosperous, with only 14% predicting hardship.
Vietnam topped the optimism rating with 70% Vietnamese expressing confidence in the economic outlook for 2011.
Confidence also reigns in Nigeria, where 80% of respondents expect their financial situation to improve this year. Even in war-torn countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, respondents appeared to look forward to a brighter future with only 14% of Afghans and 12% of Iraqis fearing a deterioration of their situation.
The poll was conducted from October 11 to December 13, 2010, in 53 countries. More than 63,000 people were interviewed by telephone, face-to-face or online.
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Comments (6)
And from the U.S - Our media
And from the U.S - Our media says when Europe falls The U.S is next. But really no one knows so i say this...you only live life once so go where your heart calls & inspiration flames & i tell ya it's France that calls. So i check out starting a small business in France & it blows away the U.S. So i tell my friends & we all want to go to France now & begin anew as it's not just about the money anymore but to be inchanted, inspired, to eat yummy food, drink good wine. Thats what life is really about!!! France, you have alot to be hopeful for as i'm not alone in my dreams. France, thankyou for helping to keep the world inchanted!
This news is no surprise to
This news is no surprise to me. Of course the respondents from the developing countries such as India, China and Brazil would feel confident about their economic futures when all the jobs are consistently off-shored there. I live in North America (Ontario), and the manufacturing sector here has been decimated. A lot of things (clothing, electronics, office supplies such as staplers, cooking supplies, etc. etc.) are made in China nowadays. They used to once been made locally and that provided jobs for the people here. Some call-centres for Canadian companies serving Canadian clients are now located in India. Even higher-end jobs like IT are now moving to India, I hear. In addition, there are the crises with the euro, and the financial instability of certain EU countries. In summary, this poll and this article do not really analyze the background reasons why people feel depressed, which is what a good piece of reporting/research would attempt to do.
So french
This news makes me even more depressed.
Well, from Frances position
Well, from Frances position there is much that could be worse(to be pesimistic about), while from the Iraquis and Afghans position it can get only better... and the chances that it gets even worse are small.
Shut the door. It's cold.
France and the rest of the E.U. need to shut the door on immigration from non western countries. Charity begins at home. When every Frenchman has a job then you can open the door a crack.
Unhappy new year
I would like to see France and the rest of the world have a good new year,and to to see peace in war torn countries, and may be if we could feel more positive ,may be it could happen.
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