Российская Федерация

Germany’s “Welt Online” published the result of a representative survey in its edition of Saturday, March 31 2007. The survey was conducted by Berlin’s Forsa Institute and had been ordered by Germany’s weekly “Stern”.

According to this survey 48 % of Germany’s population considers the USA being a “bigger threat to global peace and stability” than Iran.

On the other hand 31 % consider Iran being more dangerous than the USA. 15% see no difference between the two countries where peace and stability are concerned and consider both countries being equally “dangerous”.

An overwhelming 72 % of the people asked in Germany, whether the “missile defense shield” to be installed by the USA in Eastern Europe was welcome or not, replied that this “shield” was nonsense and sided Ludwig Beck, the chairman of Germany’s social-democratic party (SPD), who strongly rejects these US American plans.

Beck is supported by 80% of the SPD’s members but also by 62 % of the members of CDU and CSU, the two conservative and “christian” political parties in Germany.

52% of the polled party members considered the USA being more “dangerous” than Iran, 46 % of them are members of the “Union” (CDU & CSU).

27% of all people polled declared that they weren’t voters of the SPD, and wouldn’t consider voting in favour of the SPD in Germany’s next federal elections, but could imagine to rethink this should the “Union” not take a more decisive stand aginst this “missile shield” in the near future.

Presently Germany is governed by a coalition of SPD and CDU (“Große Koalition”) with both parties being almost “pari” . Chancellor Merkel’s CDU could very well be losing support and declining should a significant number of voters decide that she’s too friendly towards the USA and move to the “other camp“. Germany’s SPD is generally not hostile towards the USA but “very less friendly” then the “Union“.

The generally good and friendly relationship between Russia and Germany is not influenced by the US “annoyance” regarding Russia. It can actually be noted that the more Russia is “bashed” by the USA, the better the relationship between Germany and Russia gets.

As Princeton’s Professor Steven Kotkin has pointed out, “Russia bashing“  by the USA leads to Anti-Americanism, the least thing the USA need in today’s world where the pendulum of sympathy swings away from the USA and towards Russia.