In France after summer, a glum return to business as usual

September 2, 2008

New French poll shows pessimistic outlook in France for the back-to-school period.

In France, September heralds that special time in the rhythm of the year when everyone comes back from the traditional August vacation and gears up for a return to school, to work and to a bustling social calendar. Usually, any French gloom associated with the end of the summer holiday is offset by sharing stories and vacation photos with friends not seen since June, revisiting favorite restaurants shuttered for the summer, the reappearance of fall produce and game in the markets, the gearing up of the opera season, and other autumnal delights.

But this year in France is different, according to IFOP, a respected polling company in France that gauges French public sentiment. The French mood in 2008 is more than usually morose and pessimistic, says the study just released by IFOP, which surveyed over 1,000 French adults for the French regional newspaper France-Ouest. Only one third of the French people polled said they felt optimistic about their lives and that of their children, a drop of 20 points in only the last eight months. The poll was conducted by telephone and took place between August 21 and 28.

Reasons posited are the state of the economy both in France and elsewhere, with recession looming and buying power down in France. Parents in France are feeling the pinch; according to a group called Familles de France, parents are spending an average of €193, or $283, to buy gear for each child entering secondary school. The IFOP findings also cite international instability as a cause for French gloom.

If people in France want to improve their mood, perhaps they should go back on vacation–in the US. While the buying power of the average person in France is down, French people who can afford to travel to the US will find bargains galore, as the Euro still hovers near historic highs against the anemic US dollar.

Written by Web in France team - Filed Under Featured, Health, News, Tourism

Comments

Got something to say?

You must be logged in to post a comment.