Brussels (Brussels Morning) The French and German view of US influence in the world has plummeted due to President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and, despite the best efforts of President Joe Biden’s administration since coming to office three months ago, it has yet to recover its former status.
A study conducted by the German Marshall Fund and the Bertelsmann Foundation showed Biden has not won back the international standing once enjoyed by the US, despite early efforts to tackle the coronavirus crisis head on and to repair Washington’s relations with its traditional allies in Europe.
The results come as Biden prepares to embark on his first foreign policy tour as President. He travels to Europe on Wednesday to attend a series of summits and meetings — starting with the G7 summit in London, then proceeding to Brussels for NATO and EU summits. He is expected to end his tour by meeting Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
EU gets mixed reviews
According to the study, only 51% of Germans, 56% of Swedes, 60% of the French, 61% of the Dutch and 64% of Spaniards now view the US as a reliable partner. The figures are somewhat higher in the UK (67%), Italy (73%) and Poland (76%). In the case of Turkey, only 23% consider the US to rate as a reliable partner.
Among the 11 countries covered by the study-cum- survey, Canada, on average, is perceived to be the most reliable partner (75%), with Germany and Sweden sharing second place with a 73% rating. Poland and Turkey, on the other hand, are viewed as the least reliable, with favourable ratings of 45% and 23% respectively.
As a whole, the EU received mixed reviews from non-EU member states. Three quarters of Canadians and 69% of US citizens believe the EU is a reliable partner, but the figure drops to 50% in case of the UK, and dips to 39% for Turkey.
