This issue of Foundation Focus looks at impacts of the crisis on quality of life in Europe. Has quality of life worsened? Have all sections of society borne the impact equally, or have some ill-favoured groups been particularly affected? How do European citizens rate the quality of their public services since the onset of the crisis? Do these services – such as healthcare and childcare – do the job that is asked of them? If not, how can public services and the European welfare state change to meet a new reality? And what of the public sector workers who are responsible for the delivery of many of these services: how has their working situation changed since 2008?