Romanians' Pessimism Regarding Internal Economy On The Rise - Eurobarometer

Romanians are among the least content citizens of the European Union, according to a Eurobarometer report published Monday which indicates higher pessimism with regard to the national economy, job situation, household situation and expectations from one's own life.

The Eurobarometer 72 study, carried out in November 2009 and published Monday, shows that 47% of Romanians are content with their life, while the overall EU27 level of contentment is 78%. According to the study, Romanians are pessimistic in their expectations of "how things will go" in the next 12 months.

The Eurobarometer study found that, in November, the share of Romanians who believe the national economy is going worse than the EU average has reached 88%, up by 13 points compared to June 2009. Furthermore, the study covering the June-November period, shows a 10 percentage point increase, from 78% to 88%, in the share of people believing the Romanian job market is worse compared to that of other member states.

Romanians' pessimism about their country's situation has grown between June and November 2009, from 23 to 29% regarding life in general, from 41 to 45% regarding the internal economy, and from 26 to 31% with respect to their household's financial situation. Also, their concern with the Romanian job market has grown from 44 to 53%, and from 15 to 21% regarding their own job, between June and November 2009.

The economic crisis has not shaken Romanians trust in European institutions, however. On the contrary, their trust in the European Commission has increased from 53 to 58%, and in the European Central Bank from 47 to 51%. Still, Romanians' most trusted European body is the Parliament (65%).

Furthermore, the Eurobarometer study shows that Romanians favor support for the private sector by assisting companies, and investments into infrastructure and education as the main measures to be adopted by the European Union in order to recover from the crisis.

mediafax.ro