Pave: Zoloft Nation Redux

Le jour 176 de Sarko

When is a half full glass completely empty? When it's half empty in France.

HALF FULL? HALF EMPTY?
FRENCH SEE NOTHING IN THE GLASS AT ALL

PARIS October 31, 2007 (Times Online) - The French – descendants of the Gauls, who thought the sky would fall on their heads – are among the most gloomy, distrustful and pessimistic people in Europe, according to an official study. ... The study of national moods across Europe, commissioned by François Fillon, the French Prime Minister, illustrates the dark – and largely irrational – side of the Gallic soul.

Although France is by many yardsticks a pleasant country, according to the research by the Centre of Strategic Analysis, its inhabitants are unhappy with their lot and convinced that things are going to get worse.

The gulf between the hard facts and the subjective vision of the French was highlighted by the United Nations Development Index, which...placed France above the EU average... But when asked in a second survey to evaluate their standard of living, only 16 per cent of the French said that they were very satisfied – the lowest of any Western European country. The figure in Britain was 40 per cent.

French fear of the future was underlined by another survey:

What percentage of people think they are likely to face poverty? (EU average 62%)

France 86%
UK 65%
Italy 55%
Sweden 43%

What percentage of people think they are likely to experience homelessness? (EU average 6.2%)

France 13%
UK 8%
Germany 2%
Denmark 1%

Source: Eurobarométre

The malaise stems from two decades of high unemployment – between 8 and 12 per cent* – which has spread anxiety even among workers unlikely to the lose their jobs, the researchers said.

Only 8 per cent of respondents believed that their children would lead easier lives than they did, compared with 16 per cent of Britons and 57 per cent of Portuguese.

... The French also had less confidence in their police, their courts, their unions and their MPs than the British. Even their own homes did not escape their angst, with les Français less satisfied with their families than most other EU countries, including Britain.

... As well as losing faith in their institutions, they were even despairing about humanity itself, the study found. Only 22 per cent of French people said that they could trust others most of the time, far less than the EU average of 30 per cent and the British rating of 36 per cent, for instance.

[Hat tip: Hervé]

The question is, why? Why does prosperous France despair as if she were impoverished Zambia? Why do Frenchies fret as if they actually lived in Cuba?

------------------------------------
* And this and this and this, et al.

PFFT (What is this?): Irremediable French gloom 4 | Miserable paradise 2½ | More meds, svp 4 | Rayonnement français 0