"How optimistic are you when you think about your future and the future of your country?" Allianz, working together with market researcher GfK, has investigated this question in a new study. One result of this first European Confidence Study: A majority of the European respondents are more confident about their personal situation today and in the next twelve months than they are about the current and future situation of their country.

The respondents come from Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Turkey. In each country, a representative survey asked about 1,000 men and women to assess their personal situation and the situation of their country, today and over the next year. In addition, Allianz wanted their opinions about issues of significance for their country and for their personal situation. The final question was dedicated to football: "How much does the prospect of the upcoming European Football Championship improve the way you feel?"

In contrast to their personal situations, respondents tend to be rather worried about their country's situation. Here Austrians are most positive (35 percent) yet, in other words, only one-third has a "very or rather good" view on their country's current situation. Turkey (30 percent) ranks second. Barely a quarter of those surveyed are positive in Croatia, Russia and Spain (24 percent), closely followed by Germany (23 percent). Portugal is most skeptical; only 6 percent is positive.

For the next twelve months as well, one in three Austrians is confident about their country's situation (33 percent); elsewhere in Europe, only the Italians are more optimistic (35 percent). The mid-field consists of Russia (29 percent), Croatia (27 percent) and Germany (26 percent); more than one in four people in these countries is optimistic about the future. In Portugal only 13 percent is confident.

Of the issues investigated in the survey, people are most worried about state-run pensions and personal old age provision. And they're worried all over Europe. People in nine out of ten countries are the least confident about personal retirement coverage. In Russia (13 percent) and Portugal (16 percent) very few respondents are confident about the issue. For state-run pension insurance: the Turks (31 percent), the Spaniards (27 percent), and the Croats (24 percent) are moderately optimistic, whereas the Germans (6 percent) and the Portuguese (7 percent) have the lowest confidence.

Asked about the level of confidence in the public health insurance and long-term care insurance systems, at least one-third of Spaniards (33 percent) and Italians (38 percent) is optimistic, while nearly one of every two Turks feels the same way (46 percent). Here, as with state pensions, the Germans (10 percent) and Portuguese (9 percent) bring up the rear.

In environmental and climate protection, about one in three expresses optimism in Turkey (35 percent) and Germany (31 percent). Only 9 percent of Russians is confident.

A considerably more positive view is taken of the quality of schools and universities in the various countries. In some countries (Austria 38 percent, Turkey 33 percent, Croatia 32 percent), one in three is confident about educational institutions.

Most Europeans see reasons for optimism in their own home and family environment over the next twelve months: 88 percent of the Austrians, 84 percent of the Germans, and 80 percent of the French are most confident about their homes. On family, partners and children, the Austrians are most confident (73 percent), followed by the Greeks (70 percent), and the Germans and Russians with 68 percent each.

In the lead-up to the European Football Championship, Allianz also asked people in ten of the 16 competing countries about their excitement based on the upcoming event. The mood around Europe is very much up and down, with 38 percent of Turks, 35 percent of Greeks, 31 percent of Croats and 25 percent of Germans feeling a boost in mood from the approaching games. The situation in France and Spain is entirely different – only nine percent of the French and 13 percent of the Spaniards express enthusiasm. Interestingly, more Turkish women (42 percent) than Turkish men (35 percent) are looking forward to the championship.

Europeans' confidence and expectations about the future are of critical importance to Allianz, as a European insurer and financial service provider. The representative Allianz Confidence Study was conducted in April and May of this year, in cooperation with GfK Market Research. The study was based on telephone interviews with 1,000 respondents each over the age of 15 in each of the following countries: Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Turkey.

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