Todays Financieele Dagblad reports that a comparative study by KPMG shows that of all European citizens, the Dutch are most satisfied with their banks (90 %, compared to a European average of 57 %). KPMG's Stef Kroon observes a discrepancy between this outcome, the efficient Dutch payment infrastructure and the public perception in the Netherlands that banks are expensive.
I think the Dutch people may be sitting too much on the penny. KPMG's research also shows that of all nationalities the Dutch are most negative about the euro (73 % says that it has not been beneficial). So my hypothesis is that the Dutch are overly sensitive to direct pricing. As a result the comparatively cheap banking sector appears to be too expensive and the Euro is viewed as a failure.
