Europeans think 2016 was a stinker, and they feel 2017 will be loser too.
In YouGov’s latest global survey, European nations were at the bottom in their view of last year. And they’re also the most pessimistic about the new year.
“European nations surveyed are by far the most likely to think 2016 has been a bad year for the world, with at least 65 percent people in each country believing so,” said the survey.
Weighing on Europe has been terror attacks, mediocre economies and a rise of anti-government populism.
But unlike in America, where optimism spiked after the election of President-elect Trump, Europeans aren’t hopeful of about 2017.
“As well as having some of the most negative views of 2016, the European nations surveyed also tend to have the most pessimistic expectations for 2017 as well. Whilst the seven European countries all have a net positive outlook in terms of prospects for themselves and their families, they are still lower than the scores from any other part of the world. They are all likely to have a more negative outlook for the future of their own countries, and are particularly pessimistic about how good 2017 is likely to be for the world,” said the poll analysis.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
