Global confidence regarding an end to the crisis improves. - According to the BVA-WIN barometer, put together by the French newspaper Les Échos, global confidence regarding an end to the crisis is gaining ground, particularly in the United States and in some of the big emerging countries. The survey involves 24 countries, eight of them in the European Union (Austria, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Spain and United Kingdom). The prize-winner for optimism is all of the so-called “BRIC” countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), even though the Russians appear the least enthusiastic. Thus, on average 30% of these countries' inhabitants believe that the macro-economic situation will improve in the next 12 months, whereas the average number of inhabitants in G7 countries who believe this is only 20%. The lack of confidence in governments is also more acute in developed countries, as is confidence in expectations regarding a rise in average household income. In the context of assessing the future economic situation, the balance between pessimism and optimism has clearly improved (+ 7 points) at a quarterly global level, to the extent that people who think that things will improve is scarcely more than those who think the contrary (22% as opposed to 27% as a global average). Iceland, Romania, Mexico and France have the lowest confidence rates. France, more particularly, is the most pessimistic of the 13 biggest countries in the world (G7, plus BRICs, in addition to some of the big economies such as Switzerland and the Netherlands) within 24 countries surveyed, and therefore among European Union countries. France has, however, had its fingers burnt less than the United Kingdom with regard to the solidity of the banks (a 5/10 confidence rate in France as opposed to 4.1/10 in United Kingdom). With marks of 7.1/10 and 6.9/10 respectively, Saudi Arabia and China demonstrate the most confidence in this arena. The lowest rate of confidence given to governments with regard to managing the crisis occurs in Romania (3/10), followed by the United Kingdom (3.6/10), Spain (3.8/10) and Iceland (4.3/10). The highest rate of confidence accorded to governments for managing the crisis occurs in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and China with rates of 7.4/10; 7.1/10 and 6.9/10 respectively. (I.L./transl.fl)