Europe’s Not Working

By Olaf Gersemann

The economies of the major countries on the European continent are basket cases. And unfortunately, there’s not much hope of prosperity returning soon. Continental voters just won’t accept a Thatcher/Reagan-style revolution.

BERLIN—They call themselves “The Happy Unemployed,” and they fight “the dictatorship of wage dependency”—at a very leisurely pace. This German group so far consists of a few amateur humorists, and seems unlikely to grow larger. For while there is persistent mass unemployment in many European countries— with jobless rates hovering near double-digit levels in Germany, France, and other parts of the continent for most of a decade now—it’s unlikely that many Europeans enjoy being unemployed. Like other people, most Europeans strive for the benefits that come with being a member of the work force: financial independence, a feeling of usefulness, self-confidence, and respect from fellow citizens. [FULL ARTICLE ]