I think its hard to generalize that "all European Dogs" have this, or that. Yes, you can find top quality as well as poor quality on any continent. That being said, I do think that many European dogs maintain more overall type than their american counterparts, in General, keeping in mind, there are exceptions in both instances. So, I do understand what your wife is referring to.
I suggest you read Steve Wolfson's articles in the ARC, regarding the differences in American vs. European dogs.
http://www.amrottclub.org/articles/Zygomatic_Arch.pdf