How bad is economy in europe now?

[AqD]

How bad is it? Is it bad enough to affect your life? I'd like to hear personal experiences from people who actually live in europe rather than from news or websites, because despite all the bad reports I cannot imagine what it's like to have debt crisis or recession - here we have been in stagnation for more than a decade, but not getting worse or better recently.

However, since last month the biggest wine importer here started to give 40 percent discount for all spanish wines and brandy, which is quite shocking consider the price of alcohol had never gone down in so many years. Something bad must be happening now! So what's actually happening?

[The Norseman]

Well over here its never been better well its good actually, not much different other than we can afford to go on lots and lots of vacations, especially in Spain. The only reason for that is because we did not join the EU. So everything is pretty good here! Atleast in my opinion. Then again our government are taxing us so much. Soon they will make you pay to breathe, Im not joking!

[AqD]

Well over here its never been better well its good actually, not much different other than we can afford to go on lots and lots of vacations, especially in Spain. The only reason for that is because we did not join the EU. So everything is pretty good here! Atleast in my opinion. Then again our government are taxing us so much. Soon they will make you pay to breathe, Im not joking!

Where do you live? Sweden? Norway?

[The Norseman]

Norway

[Glista]

My country is on Greece route.

[removeduser_487563287433]

UK is back in recession. It does affect me directly - my industry is in double figures growth. But clients are cutting back their budgets mercilessly, and that is a concern.

[Pielstick]

In the UK and live hasn't changed at all for me.

As a UK trained and qualified marine engineer I'm lucky enough to have a career that puts me in a pretty much recession-proof job and I have qualifications, skill set and experience that are in great demand across the world.

Currently planning a move away from naval auxiliaries next year and moving into either commercial tankers (get paid the same money I'm on now for less time at sea and better ships), super yachts (£5-7k per month take home salary) or a shore-based specialist in an emergency response organisation (get to spend more time at home and live something like a normal life).

I'm thinking of going on the super yachts for 2-3 years, buy a house with cash and then move into a shore side job and have a normal life.

[Engie]

Depends where you are, here in the UK things are bad but not beyond repairable if the government would grow some balls and do what is needed to be done.

[Adar]

For me as a Swede the effect is quite minor on my routine work at the university. The problem we got is rather that companies are very reluctant to commit to long term projects as we are unsure on what's going to happen. So I think the Eurocrisis actually is going to hurt Swedish growth even if our businesses are doing very well.

Something that surprised me when in Scotland was the extreme house prices in the Scottish highlands. 150 000-350 000 punds wasn't uncommon for houses in an area with little else than tourism as a major industry. That is on the same levels as you get in Sweden for a house in the fourth largest city located 40 minutes from Stockholm.

[MathiasOfAthens]

I live in Sweden as well and just came back from a vacation in Copenhagen. Life is fine over here, I dont notice anything bad. It felt worse in the states. Plus when I was in Copenhagen the city was packed with tourism. So its not bad there either.

[Tiberios]

I live in Sweden as well and just came back from a vacation in Copenhagen. Life is fine over here, I dont notice anything bad. It felt worse in the states. Plus when I was in Copenhagen the city was packed with tourism. So its not bad there either.

Tell that to the Danish politicians. They won't stop talking about how bad the economy is

[removeduser_4536284751384]

I'm in Ireland which is doing pretty badly on a national level, the property bubble here burst and puts loads of construction companies and banks out of business, our government is in huge debt and various wealthy businessmen and politicians are being prosecuted for corruption and illegal financial transactions. Entire estates of houses have sold for €3,000 per house.

However this has no real effect one me. Tax has increased by a small amount. Many services that I have never used have been cut (mostly social welfare ones). Most people I know seem just as well off as well off as they were 5 years ago, although there is higher unemployment. Manye people have seen wage cuts in addition to tax increases though, and a few years ago loads of people were being laid off.

[Enemy of the State]

My overlords were wise enough not to spend themselves to oblivion. Estonia is doing fine. Fastest growth in the EU if I'm not mistaken.

[Manco]

Over here, Belgium, everything seems to boil down to being afraid to spend, regardless of how justified it is.
Advertising budgets are cut, new employees are only recruited sparingly, banks are hesitant to give out business loans and loans in general have become pretty expensive, the housing market is preparing itself for a hefty rise in prices, mid-scale luxury product sales have gone down (up-scale ones tend to be fairly resistant to the ups and downs of the economy)... basically f something's long-term, it'll be affected because of the uncertainty.
Ultimately, if you're settled, you'll not really suffer. If you're unemployed, looking to buy a house or invest in self-employment or a business, then you'll feel it pretty hard.

[Denny Crane!]

Just bought a Taxi Company (thats right baby I'm a CEO lol)

Oddly enough the taxi industry is in continuous growth which is great but the North East of England is the worst place in the UK for unemployment and it isn't getting any better. Confidence and a general air of despair is rather malignant even for people still in work and I constantly hear about redundancies.

[AqD]

Just bought a Taxi Company (thats right baby I'm a CEO lol)

Oddly enough the taxi industry is in continuous growth which is great but the North East of England is the worst place in the UK for unemployment and it isn't getting any better. Confidence and a general air of despair is rather malignant even for people still in work and I constantly hear about redundancies.

Congrats!


The taxi industry is definitely shrinking here though - the price has not been increased for many years despite inflation, which is good to me but not to taxi drivers. I heard a decade it was great job, and now it's for those who cannot find anything else to do.

[Guidrion]

I live in Brussels so I live in a palace with walls covered on 100€ bills instead of 500€. I had to sell my third Lamborghini. The economy is much much worse than what these commie-run medias will tell you.

/troll

More seriously, I don't really see any serious problems. Unemployment is a bit of a problem but it was already problematic before the beginning of the crisis. It even slightly got lower recently.
I know some people who have troubles finding stable jobs but nobody who really had it hard since the crisis occurred. The only real complain I hear is about the price of the food and gas.
Nobody throws away money but it's really not the great depression.

Belgium is among the most advanced social state in the world (at the cost of high tax pressure except on capital income). Combine that with the tradition of savings in families and the population remains well protected from the crisis.

[truth1337]

If we prohibit outsourcing, and throw out the national banks, that lend money that doesn't exist and demand it back with interest (i.e. printing more money causing inflation, then demanding that money which they never had back, i.e. causing debt slavery) - then we would solve all economical problems. Goldman-Sachs control over the Euro zone is an extremely big problem, that we need to do away with. As long as they're there doing their usury fraud, European countries will keep crashing. The same goes for the Federal reserve in the US.

[Thorn777]

Its great. We are feasting everyday, drinking the blood of Greek baby's and raping away young and hot Spanish students.

[YukonTrooper]

The economy is great! The mass demonstrations and riots you see on TV and read about is just Europeans looking for attention. The UK is doing absolutely phenomenal and this is highlighted by the $20 billion London Olympics. Cheers!