Europe and Russia: Expecting the Future

Abstract

Year 2008 saw a large-scale population survey of nine European countries, including Russia, aimed at identifying the perceptions of Europeans about their future. The survey covered the most important aspects of human life: work, family, environment, integration, security, consumption, education, relationships between rich and poor. The survey results for each participant country on all topics are compared and interpreted. The analysis revealed a quite complete but contradictory picture of Europeans’ and Russians’ future visions of the Europeans and Russians, their aspirations and preparedness for future events. The responses were dominated by skeptical views. Causes for such an attitude require a more in-depth analysis. Monitoring the evolution of public opinion on the future requires the implementation of similar surveys on a regular basis.