Pew tells us all about European public opinion, including this funny table of stereotypes in which we see that Germany has developed a terrible reputation in Greece but remains pretty well-regarded otherwise. Other notable findings include the self-loathing of Italians, who regard themselves as exceptionally untrustworthy, and the fact that each nation thinks that it is the most compassionate nation around.
Elsewhere in the survey and perhaps more directly relevant to things people debate in America, Pew shows pretty clearly that Europe won’t abandon midguided austerity policies because misguided austerity policies appear to be popular. Only in Poland and Greece does a majority favor spending more to stimulate the economy, and Greece is the case where non-Europeans are most likely to agree with the powers that be in Frankfurt and Brussels that spending cuts are necessary. In France, 81 percent prefer spending cuts, in Spain 67 percent, and in Italy 59 percent. Yet the incumbent politicians in those three countries are all very unpopular.
