An international opinion poll carried out for the BBC’s World Service puts Germany ahead in the image stakes. Its economic and environment policies are viewed particularly positively.
The poll ranks Germany top, with 56 percent of respondents saying they had a positive view of the Federal Republic. Germany is followed by Japan, the European Union, France and Great Britain. The bottom three places are held by Iran, Israel and Pakistan.
Covering 23 countries around the world, the survey was conducted by opinion pollsters GlobeScan and the University of Maryland on behalf of the BBC. From November 2007 to January 2008, more than 17,000 people in 34 countries were asked for their view on the nations in question and to say whether they had a positive or negative influence on the world.
"Germany and Japan rank so far ahead because although they have the military potential to influence events to their own benefit, they refrain from using it and prefer to show their prowess in economic terms", says Steven Kull, who headed the survey.
Germany’s environmental policies have helped boost its image in the past year, earning it considerable international respect.
Europeans gives Germany top marks
In Italy, some 82 percent of respondents said Germany had a positive influence on the world. People in Spain, Portugal and France answered along similar lines. In Britain, 62 percent viewed Germany positively and 61 percent of Russians said the same.
Germany also scored well in Australia, where 71 percent of respondents gave it a good rating. In Kenya, it was 73 percent and in China 58 percent. By way of contrast, 47 percent of people in Turkey had a negative view of Germany. Egyptians also tend to view Germany less than positively.
US improves image rankings
While 35 percent of respondents now say that the United States has a positive influence on world events, the figure was lower (31 percent) in the 2007 survey. Those conducting the poll say the slight gain achieved by the US is due to the pending presidential elections. People are hoping for a change of course in America’s foreign policy.
The biggest gains were seen in respect of Russia, which is now viewed positively by 37 percent of respondents compared with 29 percent in last year’s survey.
