The French? Not too expensive, and certainly optimistic. Indeed, according to our cousins, the average income to be considered rich is around 6.500 euros net per month (a similar survey revealed that Italians "demand" much more), and above all 60% of them are still convinced that despite everything it is possible to make a fortune in their own country, despite the crisis.
This trend is revealed by a survey conducted by Ifop for Les Echos: the same institution had asked the same question in 2011, and at the time the interviewees had set the bar just below, around 6.300 euros per month.
Obviously the figure indicated was and is the result of the average of the answers of the citizens questioned, but as always the differences between age groups and social classes also create furrows in the way of understanding life and wealth. Young people between 18 and 24, who grew up in the midst of the recession years, are "satisfied" with 4.398 euros a month, or in any case with such a salary they would easily consider themselves more than affluent. An over 65 instead, raised with fat cows and ultra-guaranteed rights and pensions, sets the bar almost on 8.000 euros (7.871).
Needless to say, when the parameter is the income range, the gap widens further: those who earn less than 1.200 euros a month see the "finish line" at 4.792, while those who already receive 4.500 or more at the start inevitably raise the threshold to at least double (9.718 euros). On the other hand, there were few differences between the interviewees of different political leanings. In that case they just stand out the voters of the Front National, particularly Spartans: they consider themselves or would consider themselves rich with “just” 5.381 euros every 30 days.
Another curiosity of the survey is the consideration of wealth itself. In fact, the French, historically considered (even by themselves) inclined to hostility towards the cult of money and its ostentation, this time surprise: according to 89% of respondents, the presence of rich people in France is not a hateful phenomenon but is useful to society as a whole. And this despite the flight abroad of many rich and famous people to escape the Hollande tax (later rejected by the Consulta)? Well yes, because after all they would have done it too: 20% of the interviewees, one in five, candidly admitted that if he were to make a fortune in France in the near future, he would seriously consider leaving the country. Long live sincerity.
