Germany tops USA as world’s favorite country (per GfK)

TheLocal.de ^ | 12 Nov 2014 11:17 GMT+01:00

[Olog-hai]

Market researchers GfK found that Germany has knocked the USA off the top spot for global image for the first time since 2009.

The pollsters asked 20,000 people in 20 countries their opinion of 50 leading nations across six categories: exports, government, culture, people, tourism, and immigration and investment.

Germany’s biggest gain over 2013 was in the “Top sporting performance” category, as people had become familiar with the grinning faces of the World Cup-winning football team over the summer.

But GfK found other key factors helped put Germany on top, including its leading role in European politics, strong economic performance and high-profile international engagement. …

[Olog-hai]

GfK is Germany’s biggest “market research institute” (whatever that means); Associated Press polls are done with GfK’s help, FTR, so one can see which way things get slanted here.

[txrefugee]

White woman leader trumps mixed race follower in world opinion.

[aposiopetic]

So they won the World Cup. Could have been Argentina.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

(from the title) :"Germany tops USA as world’s favorite country.. "

Germany has a leader !..
We have a campaigner

[KarlInOhio]

Germany moves up the list every year they don't invade the rest of Europe. Usually they only go about 25 years before deciding that they need another hike along the tree lined roads to Paris.

[Viennacon]

A Merkel Putin showdown will be fun

[minnesota_bound]

Germany was very popular between up to 1945 where people from many countries came to visit.

[SamAdams76]

Germany definitely has it's strong points...

[sergeantdave]

Watching President Buckwheat go bat-chit Hitler crazy should draw a 7.5 on the richter tourist scale.

[sphinx]

Germany-Argentina was just soccer. Germany-Brazil will be a legend.

[Sherman Logan]

That’s very interesting!

You always hear about people around the world hating USA, not having it as their favorite country.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Been there. Meh.

[Jabba the Nutt]

GfK = Gesellschaft fuer Konsumforschung = Society for Consumption Research.

My favortive German initials are KdF = Kah Day Eff - Kraft durch Freude. A Nazi organization meaning Strength through Joy. Hard to get more Orwellian than that.

[Olog-hai]

That particular organization was the Nazi Party’s tourism bureau, which seems remarkable.

And of course, the original Volkswagen (Type 1) was named the KdF-Wagen, per Adolf’s orders.