Puerto de Alicante

A few months ago the magazine International Living published its ‘Quality of Life Index’ for 2008. It assessed one hundred and ninety-two countries to find the answer to the question, ‘What’s the best country to live in?’ It looked at the economy, culture, health care, safety, democratic freedoms, infrastructure and the environment.

Six of the top ten countries are member states of the European Union. They include Spain and the Netherlands: Spain at number nine, and the Netherlands at number ten.

So according to International Living, life is a little better in Spain than in the Netherlands. But the difference is small.

Speech by Netherlands Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende at a lunch meeting with the Nueva Economía Fórum in Madrid. Read it all.
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Photo: Adriano Agulló

Tags: netherlands, spain