eJ is percieved quite differently depending on which country one is in. For most UK pilots it's a distinctly average place to be, and there are better places to go - which is what many do.
Look at it from a Spanish/Italian/French point of view and it is a very very very good deal indeed. The mainland contracts are realistically comparable to other major carriers in the country and even much better than some of the local offerings. Add to that the security of working for a huge company that has been consistantly making money, decent base morale, very good command prospects and it's no surprise they are more excited than someone with similar experience from the UK.