One in eight approves of the
world.
East Germans are far more pessimistic than the Wessies, their brethren
in the western Lander. East European are exceedingly displeased with
their income, though they find their family lives agreeable and, in the
lands of vertiginous unemployment levels, their jobs appealing.
Nine in ten Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Poles and Slovaks maintain a
negative view of their national economies. In Russia the figure is 83
percent and even in the Czech Republic it is 60. Three quarters of east
Europeans surveyed - including east Germans - do not believe that
economic conditions will improve.
"Will my kids go hungry? Will they be stuck with my debts? ... It looks
bad and it can only get worse. I mean, you can hope it will get better
but it does not look good" - muses a forlorn 69-years old Polish farmer.
Incredibly, these dismal figures reflect a rise in satisfaction
throughout the region since the demise of communism in 1989-91.
Significantly, the young are double as hopeful than those older than
35. Between one third (Bulgaria, Czech Republic) and one half (Ukraine,
Slovakia and Russia) of respondents of all age groups believe in a
better future - far outweighing the pessimists. Only in Poland are the
majority of people are anxious for the future of their children.
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