by Kate Holman in Brussels
Despite the impact of the financial crisis over the last year, the majority of Britons are satisfied with their personal circumstances, while at the same time believing the overall situation in society has got worse.
New figures released by the European Commission, covering all 27 member states plus three candidate countries, show that British residents are slightly happier with their own situation than the average across the European Union. Sweden is the country with the highest degree of personal satisfaction.
However when it comes to the general situation – including considerations such as employment, housing and social conditions, Britons are less satisfied with their country’s performance than the EU average. Their approval of the way public administration is run is well down the EU ladder – and they expect it to get worse.
The survey reveals that the British are relatively satisfied with government action to counter poverty and social exclusion. The results come in the wake of the British Social Attitudes survey which found that people in Britain are less likely to support spending on welfare measures than in the past. Britons also remain more satisfied with their healthcare facilities than many of their European neighbours. However, they have more negative experiences when it comes to finding affordable housing.
The EU’s outgoing Employment Commissioner Vladimir Spidla described it as “comforting” to know that “despite the difficult economic situation, most Europeans remain satisfied with their lives, although there is some apprehension about the future.”
The study coincided with the publication of the European Commission’s EU-wide consultation on a new economic and employment programme to replace the Lisbon strategy, until 2020, with trade unions calling for more emphasis on social progress.
