Europeans worry about Russia, increasingly support NATO
VALENTINA POP
10.09.2008 @ 14:04 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – European support for NATO and for closer ties with the US is increasing, while concerns about Russia as an energy provider and in relationship to its neighbours are on the rise, shows a survey released on Wednesday (10 September) by an American think-tank.
Some 57 percent of Europeans agreed that NATO is still essential to their country's security, an increase of four percentage points since 2007, according to the new poll published by the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
European attitudes towards NATO are warming up, according to an American survey (Photo: nato.int)
The survey marks a halt to an earlier trend of declining support for NATO in Germany and Poland - the first such up-tick since 2002. French support for NATO has climbed back to its 2002 levels, the survey also shows.
Support for strengthening relations with the US rose by four percent among EU member states and Turkey, with the highest rates occuring in Romania (52 percent), Poland (45 percent) and Italy (37 percent).
"Based on common values and shared interests ... Americans and Europeans want closer relations," said Craig Kennedy, president of the Fund upon the release of its annual Transatlantic Trends survey, conducted in 11 EU countries, Turkey and the US.
As EU-Russia relations reach a straining point, the survey, which was conducted prior to the conflict in Georgia, reveals that Europeans continue to express concern about Russia's behaviour toward its neighbours.
Europeans are also more willing than Americans to provide security assistance for neighbouring democracies such as Ukraine and Georgia (67% as opposed to 58%, respectively) and to desire increased support for democratic forces inside Russia (65% against 61%).
However, Europeans are less willing than Americans to support restricting co-operation with Russia in international organizations (38% against 47%).
Germany showed the highest concern amongst those polled over Russia's role as an energy provider, the behaviour toward its neighbours, the Balkans and its role in providing weapons to the Middle East. Italy, the UK and the US also showed substantial majorities that were concerned about such matters. However, concern over Russia was lowest in Bulgaria, Slovakia and Turkey.
"I think Germans are quite concerned about Russia, even though their leadership does not speak with one voice on this issue," John Glenn, the lead author of the survey told EUobserver.
While Chancellor Merkel has criticised Russia, foreign minister Steinmeier - who is to run against her in next year's elections on behalf of the Social Democratic Party - has adopted a more conciliatory line towards Moscow, Mr Glenn said.
"It makes me wonder whether the Social Democrats are really in line with the views of the public," he added.
Turkey 'not part of the West'
For the first time since 2004, Turkey's cooling trend towards the EU has reversed, registering an increase by seven degrees in "warmth", with 33 percent viewing the bloc favourably. The feelings towards the US remain coldish, up three degrees to 14, the survey reveals.
On the other hand, however, 57 percent of Europeans and 55 percent of Turks agreed that Turkey has such different values that it is not really part of the West, with the highest agreement with the statement found in Germany (76%), France (68%), and Italy (61%).
Americans nonetheless did not share this view, with the largest percentage of respondents (41%) feeling that Turkish values are sufficiently in common in common with the West to be considered part of the privileged club.
Some 48 percent of Turkish respondents felt that, on international matters, Turkey should act alone, compared with 20 percent who felt it should act with the countries of the European Union. Just three percent felt the country should act in concert with the US, while 11 percent favoured a partnership with the countries of the Middle East.
Turkish views of transatlantic relations do not appear to differ markedly with religious practice. There is little difference in the desirability of EU leadership among those who pray five times a day regularly (21%), sometimes (23%), and never (24%).
The undesirability of US leadership is also common across the secular-religious divide. Support for the US among those who pray five times a day regularly was just 6 percent, while for those who sometimes prayed (9%), and never prayed (7%) also viewed Washington with a sceptical eye, on nine and seven percent respectively.
