24 Oct Who Do You Love?
The European Council on Foreign Relations has just published a fascinating world survey and global “love/hate map.” The “love map” and the “hate map” are especially fascinating because they identify which countries receive the highest approval and disapproval ratings in 52 countries. The survey results revealed the following:
The largest survey of public opinion in the world shows support for a more multipolar world and a greater role for … countries not widely perceived as military superpowers. There is mistrust of the Cold War powers as well as Islamist-inspired Iranian autocracy. More people want to see a decline rather than increase in the power of Russia (29% decline, 23% increase), of China (32% decline, 24% increase), of the United States (37% decline, 26% increase), and of Iran (39% decline, 14% increase). On the other hand, there is strong support for an increase in the power of fast-developing powers such as South Africa, India, and Brazil.
The European Union is the most popular great power. Uniquely among great powers, more people across all continents want to see its power increase than decrease. This demand for more European power extends to many former European colonies. Whilst American soft power has declined, the rise of China has led to the resurgence in support for American power in Asia. Increasing Russian influence in Eastern Europe is paralleled by a demand for a greater American role.
Most important, it appears the respondents have little enthusiasm for a unipolar world, and want the “soft countries” such as the EU, South Africa, and Brazil to increase their global influence, while the “hard power” nations such as the United States, China, Russia, and Iran to decrease in influence.
But my favorite part of the analysis is that from a public opinion perspective the EU’s weakness is its strength: “The paradox of the EU’s power is that its strength may be rooted to some extent in the perception of its weakness. The fact that nobody is interested in balancing the EU may stem–at least in part–from a perception that the EU is unlikely to get its act together. Moreover, the decline of the EU’s soft power in the ex-USSR, Turkey and the Balkans shows that ‘softness’ in the long run may generate sympathy, but not necessarily respect.”
Wow! That last paragraph hits hard with truth. See, everyday people are intuned to the world. They get whats going on in global politics.
I always felt there was a love hate of the U.S. Love her as a gentle power but, hate her for being such a great power. Still better her than the others, at least you can have some comforts in levels of freedom with her at a global scale.
I think they’ll be even less entertained with their local hegemons than the United States, but they’ll discover that far too late.