Europe backs Obama foreign policy

Most Europeans support Mr Obama's handling of foreign policy

European support for Barack Obama's foreign policy is four times greater than that given to his predecessor George W Bush, a new survey suggests.

The annual Transatlantic Trends survey showed 77% of respondents in the EU and Turkey supported his handling of foreign affairs.

But there are serious transatlantic differences over Afghanistan, Iran and climate change.

The survey was published by the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

The change in European attitudes to the US is the most far-reaching in the eight years since the survey started.

"We see a remarkable shift in transatlantic opinion from the previous administration," said Craig Kennedy, the President of the German Marshall Fund.

"With American leadership enjoying unprecedented modern popularity, partners on both sides of the Atlantic have an immense opportunity to cooperate on a range of economic and security issues."

Afghanistan pessimism

But the Obama bounce has not translated itself into greater support for specific controversial policies.

Most Europeans are pessimistic about stabilising Afghanistan

With regard to Nato-led operations in Afghanistan, Mr Obama has not changed sceptical European views.

Nearly two thirds of Europeans - some 63% - are pessimistic about stabilizing the situation there.

More than half of western Europeans - 55% - and two thirds of eastern Europeans - 69% - want to reduce or remove their forces from Afghanistan altogether.

While unhappy with the military entanglement in Afghanistan, there is more transatlantic unity towards Russia, whose behaviour towards its neighbours is a source of growing concern to Nato members, according to the survey.

Some 70% of Europeans and 68% of Americans agreed on the need to provide security guarantees to former Soviet republics like Georgia and Ukraine.

On the issue of how to deal with Iran's nuclear programme, there were disagreements between Americans and Europeans.

Some 49% of EU and Turkish respondents were ready to increase diplomatic pressure on Iran, if efforts to stop Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons were to fail, but they ruled out the use of force.

In contrast, 47% of Americans favoured increasing diplomatic pressure and maintaining the use of military force.

On climate change, the survey said 84% of Europeans had expressed concern about it, compared to only 65% of Americans.

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