Germany’s good image in the world
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Dome of the Berlin Reichstag
(© picture-alliance/ dpa)
For the fourth time, Germany has emerged from an international poll conducted by the BBC World Service as “the most popular country”. 62 percent of those surveyed from 27 countries around the world believed that Germany’s influence is positive – three percent more than last year.
Germany has topped the popularity poll drawn up by BBC researchers ever since it was first included in 2008. It is followed at the top of the table by the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. The EU as a whole also did well with 57 percent of those questioned expressing a positive view of the organization.
German soccer fan
(© picture alliance / Eibner Pressefoto)
Consistent promotion of civil society exchange
Minister of State Cornelia Pieper said the outcome of the poll was a vindication of Germany’s efforts over decades to consistently promote civil society exchange across borders.
Particularly positive reactions to Germany’s role in the world came from Italy (89 percent), our French neighbours (84 percent), South Korea (82 percent), the United Kingdom (77 percent) and the US (76 percent). Germany’s influence was viewed more critically by those surveyed, for example, in India (37 percent positive score compared to 19 percent negative) and in Pakistan (22 percent positive score compared to 19 percent negative).
The BBC World Service Country Rating Poll has been surveying views on countries’ influence in the world since 2005. The 2011 results are based on more than 28,600 interviews in 27 countries carried out by international opinion research institutes between December 2010 and February 2011.
