Barack Obama Still More Popular In Europe: Survey

U.S. President Barack Obama’s ratings have plunged at home, but he is still very popular in Europe, where 75 percent of the 12 European Union countries, the approval has been involved in issues of global concern, he said.

It is also much preferred that his predecessor George W. Bush, whose popularity in Europe was just 20 percent in 2008, said the Transatlantic Trends survey of the German Marshall Fund

Since 2009, when Obama had an approval rating of 80-90 percent in Europe, its popularity dropped 17 points in Spain, Slovakia 13 points and 12 points in France and Italy.

But he always had an approval rating of 82 percent for international affairs in Portugal and 81 percent in Germany and Holland, with an average of 75 percent in the 12 EU countries studied.

Obama’s success to remove the leaders of al-Qaeda Osama bin Laden appears to be a factor in its popularity in Europe, with 73 percent support in its efforts to combat international terrorism.

In contrast, only 51 percent approved of his management of conflicts in Libya and Afghanistan.

Philip Gordon, secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, said that the Obama has been “generally encouraged” by the numbers.

“It is confirmed in the three years of continuous support of an Obama administration and hard for the Europeans to handle the President of International Affairs,” Gordon said at an event organized by the Fund.

However, at home, the Washington Post / ABC News earlier this month put Obama disapproval rating of 53 percent and 77 percent of the country was in the wrong way. Thirty-four percent said Obama’s economic policies did more harm than good.

Tags: Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Osama bin Laden, Philip Gordon, President, United States, United States presidential approval rating, Washington Post