Europeans see Germany's global role on the rise: Pew study

Deutsche Welle ^ | 03.20.2019 | Lewis Sanders IV

[Olog-hai]

In a survey published late Tuesday by the Pew Research Center, nearly half of all respondents in 10 EU member states said Germany plays a more important role in the world that it did a decade ago.

“There is a sense in Europe that while German power is on the rise, French and British power is stagnant or in decline,” the center said.

The view across Europe:

• The idea that Germany plays a more important role today is most pronounced in Greece, with 81 percent of respondents agreeing.
• In Italy and Spain, roughly 56 percent shared the same view
• However, only 37 percent of UK respondents shared the sentiment, the lowest ratio.
• The average across the 10 EU member states was 47 percent. […]

… An average of 62 percent of respondents said the EU is out of touch with its citizens. A majority held this view in eight of the ten countries polled.

Only those in Germany (49 percent) and Poland (42 percent) saw the situation differently. …

[sheehan]

Pull out of NATO - pull out all troops out of Germany

[Shadow44]

I agree 100%. Germany doesn’t need a babysitter.

[Olog-hai]

And then what?

[yldstrk]

That’s scary. Germany can’t help but get carried away with its addiction to power and domination. Must be thwarted.

[Olog-hai]

Actually, we’re not babysitting them.

And unless we move to neighboring countries, they’ll rise faster in our absence, because it’s not our presence that is aiding their rise.

[Rurudyne]

Join the EU and be under the thumb of the Germans, French and (until recently) the Brits ... because unlike ALL THE LAST TIMES this time they asked nicely.

[rrrod]

War with Germany is on the horizon.

[Olog-hai]

You have not anchored Germany to Europe; you have anchored Europe to a newly-dominant unified Germany. In the end, my friends, you will find that it will not work.

— Margaret Thatcher

Britain had no leading role in the EU. Nor does France; they have always acted as Germany’s lapdog. Don’t forget that there was a reason why Berlin wanted the European Central Bank on German soil.

[chris37]

Vell, zey are ze Germans, you know.

Zey are very well known for certain reasons!

[Sacajaweau]

I agree with you....we’re keeping the growth of THEIR army down...and they’re cheap sobs.

[Texan5]

The rest of Europe might want to keep a rope or two on Germany-those guys were power-mad and marching on-and over-their neighbors way before the 20th century...

[Rurudyne]

Yes. But I still wonder about ANY people that ever imagined just because someone finally asked politely that they thought it was a good idea.

For instance: if I’d been Polish my attitude would have been “oh, hell no!”

[Grimmy]

That’s scary. Germany can’t help but get carried away with its addiction to power and domination. Must be thwarted.

***********************************

LOL.

Germany isn’t powerful, except when measured against the other piss weak western EU countries. The German military is a hollow joke. It will remain so. The German is a socialist to the core of his being. No way Germany will give up the goodies enough to build a military worth a damn.

The German economy is based on gaming the trade deals with the US for the most part. That’s coming to an end. Germany’s economy is going to be showing some real cracks soon.

[Olog-hai]

I noticed that Pew is polling the wrong Polish people here. The current government of Poland is quite anti-EU and the people agree with them. People such as Donald Tusk work against the sovereignty of their own country.

[Texan5]

“if I’d been Polish my attitude would have been “oh, hell no!

Definitely-=Poland has plenty of unfortunate experience with Germany going back a long way-I’ve read that the Prussians tried to march on Poland just about every Spring...

[Olog-hai]

That they were. Just because the Franco-German War lasted a year does not erase its significance.

[KarlInOhio]

The idea that Germany plays a more important role today is most pronounced in Greece, with 81 percent of respondents agreeing.

And the Greeks feel that way without even having the Fallschirmjäger dropping by for a visit this time.

[roadcat]

War with Germany is on the horizon.

It could happen someday. When I was in college I was walking with my history teacher, around 1971, and told him my background. Half German. He said Germany is a warrior nation, and that if East and West Germany ever were joined again that Germany would soon again become a great global power and the world would tremble, perhaps in another world war. He wrote many history books and knew many things. This was almost fifty years ago and his prediction may come true now that Germany is whole again.

[NorseViking]

“” “” Britain had no leading role in the EU. Nor does France; they have always acted as Germany’s lapdog. Don’t forget that there was a reason why Berlin wanted the European Central Bank on German soil. “” “”

It is only natural and they are welcome. Unlike some of the fearmongers on thread I don’t see any prerequisites for future war behind it.

Previous European wars were among other reasons for the recognition of German leadership which was denied by the rest.

Now their leadership is obvious and accepted and actually exercised so they don’t need to go to war to be there. Also they don’t have a military to speak of and I am yet to see a will to change it.

I think only France and Ukraine now have somehow serious war machines in Europe and both are still deficient. Poland, some other East European countries might be somehow above the rest Euro armies which are girl scout clubs but they are too small to put any fight anyway.