Transatlantic Views - part 2

Opinion of the UN (page 21) is positive by majorities everywhere (tough only a relative majority in Turkey) - UN-haters are highest in the USA (14% very unfavorable opinion, further 20% mostly unfavorable) and Turkey (11%+25%), but closely followed by Spain (9%+24%) and France (5%+27%) - this might surprise some, but I know many people had too high expectations and blame the UN for the Iraq war, too. Italy has still the most UN-enthusiasts (very positive views: 27%) with Portugal as surprising second (26%). Overall, there has been small shifts for the worse opinion since 2003.

In the feelings towards countries section (page 22), I was first curious about how much people like their own country, but only four were included - ranging from the French (78 on a scale 0-100) to, predictably, Americans (89, a fall from last years' 92). Showing most Europeans to still separate the country from its government, only for Turkey (28) and for insulted-for-its-election Spain (42, just above 40 for both North Korea and Saudi Arabia) is the opinion on the USA negative on the average - it is highest in divided-on-the-war UK (62) and anti-war Italy (62), but declined remarkably even since 2003 in Poland (from 61 to 56). In contrast, the EU enjoys a positive view throughout, but with Turkey (52) surprisingly underachieving the UK (59) and the USA (62) - I wonder what the figures are right now. BTW, the UK again likes France (57, after 49 last year) and better likes Germany (57, after 53), same pattern in the USA (51 after 45 and 61 after 56) while Turkey doesn't like either (34, 46). European views of Turkey are expectedly weakly positive in Germany (52) and the Netherlands (53, same as given by Americans), even in the UK, negative elsewhere (again as expected, with lowest scores in Poland and Slovakia: 37, 36).

Ariel Sharon orchestrated a campaign to paint France as some epicenter of chronic anti-semitism, and Turkey as the model of a Muslim ally, but we find Turkey most negative on Israel (13 on a scale 0-100), and the Central-Eastern Europeans next (Slovakia 30, Poland 31; of especially the latter, the charge of European center for anti-semitism would be more appropiate) - France is in the EU midfield (42). Only the USA has a positive figure (60) - shared hypocrisy or false solidarity because of biased news? Palestinians aren't liked much either, with Central-Eastern Europeans (Slovakia 26, Poland 33) and Portugal (34) surprisingly exceeding Americans (41). Iran is also disliked, but least disliked not in Turkey (36), but the UK (42) and Germany (37), and most disliked again in Slovakia (25). Same pattern for Saudi Arabia (41, 49, 45, 28). Russia has many moderate friends, even Slovakia (52) and the USA (57, highest!), but not Turkey (21, only Israel is more disliked), Poland (42) and Portugal (44). On China, opinions are even more even, except for my Central European racists (aimed at the many Chinese shop owners over here; Poland 37, Slovakia 38) and Turkey and Portugal (both 41).

If we look at the previous table in the other direction - the USA likes Germany about just as much as Israel, both barely better than Russia; the French-German love affair grew steadily in the last two years despite the unpopularity of the leaders who forged it (62-67-70 in France and 59-71-74 in Germany); the UK still loves the USA most, but barely better than its European partners; Italy abadoned a similar position and now loves France most (66) followed by Germany (62) and the USA (61); the Netherlands had this transition earlier, and became more positive (up 4 points) on both France (64) and Germany (67); while discounting the EU (65!) Poland now likes France most (57) and and is unchangedly mildly positive on Germany (52, possibly reflecting a population divided into lovers and haters), Spain is cool on other countries (Germany 62, France 60, China 50 top the list); but not Slovakia (France 70! Germany 66!); while Turkey harbours a small bit of of positive feeling only for the EU and Palestinians (both 52).