3 Negative Views of Americans

WASHINGTON — International resentment of the Bush administration apparently has spilled over to include bad feelings about Americans -- at least in three European countries that opposed U.S. policies in Iraq.

People in France, Germany and Spain are more likely to have an unfavorable than favorable view of Americans, Associated Press polls found.

Just over half the respondents in France and Germany said they viewed Americans unfavorably. Almost half in Spain felt that way, while a third of Spaniards polled viewed Americans favorably.

The U.S. rift with longtime allies France and Germany is the most serious in years, and relations with Spain have been frosty since Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero withdrew troops from Iraq in April.

President Bush pledged soon after his reelection on Nov. 2 that he would work to “deepen our transatlantic ties with the nations of Europe.” He plans a trip to Europe in February.

But the president, and Americans generally, have plenty of work to do to win over Europeans, according to the surveys.

The polling suggests a decreasing European understanding of Americans rather than a surge in anti-Americanism, said Gilles Corman, director of public affairs for Ipsos-Inra of Belgium.

Ipsos, an international polling company, conducted polls for Associated Press in the U.S. as well as Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

The AP-Ipsos polls of about 1,000 adults in each country were taken between Nov. 19 and 27 and have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.