Barack Obama Continues to Be Most Popular World Leader in Five Largest European Countries and the U.S.

U.S. President is followed by the Dalai Lama and Germany’s Angela Merkel

A new poll by Harris Interactive for France 24 and the International Herald Tribune finds that the most popular world leader yet again this month continues to be U.S. President Barack Obama. Very strong majorities in Italy (85%), France (84%), Spain (82%), Germany (78%), Great Britain (73%) and the U.S. (69%) all have a very or somewhat good opinion of him. The Dalai Lama comes in second in all six countries.

These are there results of a new Harris Interactive/France 24/International Herald Tribune survey conducted online among a total of 6,332 adults (aged 16-64) in France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain and the United States and adults (aged 18-64) in Italy between April 29 and May 6, 2009.

Because this survey provides data on what people think of the world’s leaders in six different countries, there are many very interesting findings. Some of the more interesting ones are:
U.S. President Barack Obama, U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy of France all have lower ratings in their own country then they do when looking at an average of all six countries surveyed. Gordon Brown is 16 points lower (42% in all six countries vs. 25% in Great Britain), Barack Obama is 9 points lower (78% vs. 69%) and Nicolas Sarkozy is 8 points lower (42% vs. 34%);
On the reverse side, two leaders have higher ratings in their own countries than in an average of all six. In Italy, 43% of Italians have a favorable opinion of Silvio Berlusconi compared to 19% across the six countries – a 24 point difference. Spain’s Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero has a seven point difference, 46% in Spain versus 39% across the six countries. Germany’s Angela Merkel is perceived almost equally as well in Germany (56%) as across the five European countries and the U.S. (54%);
Pope Benedict continues his decline as only 36% of adults across the six countries have a favorable opinion of him. This is down from 39% in April and 49% in January;
In Great Britain, the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair is viewed more favorably than the current one, Gordon Brown (31% vs. 25%); and,
When it comes to which world leaders are most influential, U.S. President Barack Obama again tops the list as over three-quarters of adults in all six countries say he has a great deal or some influence at an international level. Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel are second and third across the six countries.

So What?

In Europe, the groundswell of approval for Barack Obama continues. While his numbers are still consistently strong within the United States, they continue to be even higher in the five largest European countries. And, although he has not been in the news or done anything to garner media attention, the Dalai Lama continues to have high ratings as well. This will continue to be an issue for the Chinese. Within Europe, the dynamic between the current UK Prime Minister and the previous one is probably problematic to Gordon Brown. With an election there to be called next year, can Blair’s popularity somehow be used to bolster Brown’s?

Methodology

This Harris Interactive/France 24/International Herald Tribune study was conducted online by Harris Interactive among a total of 6,332 adults aged 16-64 within France (1,077), Germany (1,007), Great Britain (1,126), Spain (1,030) and the United States (1,052), and adults aged 18-64 in Italy (1,040) between 29 April and 6 May 2009. Figures for age, sex, education, region and Internet usage were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. Full data tables and methodology are available at www.harrisinteractive.com.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls and of the British Polling Council.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

Harris Interactive Inc. 5/09
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