The name is absent

Aliki Mouriki

8%, EU-27: 27% and “the financial situation of the household is bad or rather bad”: GR:54%, SP:
41%, DK:13%, NL: 7%, EU-27: 34%).

This consistently pessimistic attitude of Greek citizens, as compared to the Danish and the
Dutch, regarding the economic situation and the future outlook is also confirmed by national surveys.
A recent such survey carried out in Greece reveals the concerns and the fears about the future of the
majority of the people interviewed: ⁷⁶

•  80.7% say things have worsened over the past year

•  64.4% fear that they might become poor

• 58.9% are afraid of economic hardship, button the other hand:

• only 24.6% are willing to accept personal sacrifices to overcome the economic crisis

• only 28.3% would be willing to work more for the same pay

• only 16.5% are willing to pay more taxes

• and a mere 9.6% would forego part of their income in return for reduced working hours.

This reluctance to show solidarity towards those worst off is less a reflection of a highly indi-
vidualistic attitude, than an increased awareness by the respondents of their deteriorating personal
situation that they do not wish to see get even worst. The prospect of relinquishing their fragile
equilibrium is not an option for them.

Although pessimism about the present and the future of the economic situation cuts across the
vast majority of the population, the problems are more pronounced for certain segments of the
workforce in Greece, in particular the young people. What, in fact, they can expect after spending
16-20 years in education is:

• prolonged (and non compensated) unemployment, as there are very few entry points;

• precarious jobs, underpaid and with few if any employment and social security rights;

• a monthly wage of about € 700 per month, which by no means constitutes a living wage
in Greece;

• curtailed social security and pension rights for the new cohorts;

• unfair inter-generational income and social welfare distribution;

• a deterioration of their living conditions, compared to their parents’ generation.

This is a dire situation that calls for more “security” rather than for more “flexibility”.

76 Kappa Research, published in the newspaper TO VIMA, 1-1-2009.

Page • 96

<<   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   >>

More intriguing information