A US-based research center has surveyed 26,000 people in 25 countries and found few with confidence in President Donald Trump to do the right thing. His low status is nearly matched by the Russian and Chinese leaders.
Image: picture-alliance/newscom
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel came out top of a new Pew survey with 52 percent of respondents expressing confidence in her to "do the right thing regarding world affairs." Seventy percent said they had "no confidence" in US President Donald Trump.
The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan American fact tank based in Washington, published its findings on Monday after it surveyed more than 26,000 people in 25 countries.
Trump had the lowest ratings in Mexico, where just 6 per cent of people expressed confidence in his leadership. In Europe, 7 percent expressed confidence in Trump in Spain, 9 percent in France, 10 percent in Germany and 28 percent in the UK.
Merkel's popularity was the highest in the Netherlands, according to the data, as 85 per cent viewed her positively. She was least liked in Greece, where just 15 per cent expressed confidence.
Survey respondents were asked their views on five world leaders: Trump, Merkel, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin and France's Emmanuel Macron. Worldwide, Trump came bottom of the list.
Europe's right-wing populists
Among Europe's right-wing populist parties, there was more confidence expressed for Trump. The favorable view was strongest in the UK where 53 percent of supporters of the anti-immigrant, Brexit-supporting UKIP party expressed confidence in Trump, although 21 percent did not.
In Sweden, 32 percent of Sweden Democrats supporters had a favorable view of the US president; in France it was 28 percent of National Front supporters; in Italy, 38 percent of League supporters; in the Netherlands, 32 percent of Party for Freedom backers; and in Germany, 25 percent of Alternative for Germany (AfD) supporters expressed a favorable view.
US respect for personal freedoms
Just 35 percent of respondents in Germany agreed with the statement "The government of the United States respects the personal freedoms of its people." This represents a 15 percent fall over the previous year.
Preference for US as leading power
Asked if they would prefer the US or China as the leading power, respondents made the US the overwhelming choice.
Backing for the US as the world's leading power was weakest in Russia, Tunisia, Argentina and Italy. It was highest in Japan, Sweden, Japan and Australia.
Respondents expressing a preference for China to be the world's leading power were in Tunisia (64 percent), Mexico (41 percent) and South Africa (38 percent).
Donald Trump on Germany: Top quotes
The US president has offered praise and dished out criticism of Germany. Whether describing the chancellor as "the greatest" or claiming Berlin owes "vast sums of money" to the US, here are his most memorable quotes.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/C. May
The good, the bad and the ugly
US President Donald Trump has offered both candid praise and unabashed criticism of Germany and its policies. From calling German Chancellor Angela Merkel "possibly the greatest world leader" to describing her open-door refugee policy as a "catastrophic mistake," here are his most memorable quotes regarding Germany.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/C. May
'Greatest'
"Germany's like sitting back silent, collecting money and making a fortune with probably the greatest leader in the world today, Merkel," Trump said in a 2015 interview with US news magazine Time.
Image: Picture alliance/AP Photo/M. Schreiber
'Very bad'
"The Germans are bad, very bad ... Look at the millions of cars they sell in the US. Terrible. We'll stop that," Trump said during a NATO leaders summit, according to German news magazine Der Spiegel, which cited sources at the alliance's meeting.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/E. Vucci
'Something in common'
"As far as wiretapping, I guess, by - you know - [the Obama] administration, at least we have something in common, perhaps," Trump said in March during a press conference with Merkel. He was referring to his unproven allegations that ex-President Barack Obama tapped his phone. There was widespread anger in Germany in 2013 when it was revealed the US National Security Agency tapped Merkel's phone.
Image: Picture alliance/R. Sachs/CNP
'Illegals'
"I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals (sic), you know taking all of the people from wherever they come from," Trump said in a joint interview published by German daily Bild and British newspaper The Times, referring to Merkel's open-door policy for refugees fleeing war and persecution.
Image: Getty Images/S. Gallup
'Germany owes vast sums of money'
"Despite what you have heard from the fake news, I had a great meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO and the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany," Trump said in a two-tweet statement after meeting with Merkel for the first time in March 2017.
Image: Picture alliance/dpa/L. Mirgeler
'Turning their backs'
"The people of Germany are turning against their leadership as migration is rocking the already tenuous Berlin coalition," Trump tweeted in the midst of a row within the German goverment. He went on to claim that: "Crime in Germany is way up. Big mistake made all over Europe in allowing millions of people in who have so strongly and violently changed their culture!"
