French are 'taught to be miserable'

FRENCH citizens are "taught" to be miserable by the country's education system and its culture, a French academic has claimed in a research paper to be delivered to the Royal Economic Society in the UK.

Paris School of Economics professor Claudia Senik argues in the paper that the French are far gloomier than they should be, despite their high standard of living.

Numerous polls in recent years have shown growing pessimism among French people - and an increasing rate of anti-depressant use and of suicide.

Ms Senik's research is based on life satisfaction data from cross Europe. She concludes: "There is something in the culture that makes French people miserable."