Germany thinks America is the wurst.
Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of Germans say their opinion of the US had deteriorated over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a poll from the German non-profit Körber-Stiftung published Monday.
“While skepticism towards Washington predates the pandemic, America’s response to the virus has clearly accelerated a feeling of estrangement on the German side,” the pollsters wrote in their report.
By comparison, 5 percent said they had a better opinion of the US and 17 percent said their views were unchanged.
Meanwhile, just 36 percent of German respondents said their opinion of China had slumped, despite the country coming under scrutiny from the international community over its response to the outbreak.
Still, a majority of those polled said they either “fully” or “somewhat” agreed that more transparency from China could have curbed the impact of the pandemic.
The survey also found that despite close ties between Washington and Berlin, only 10 percent of Germans consider the US their closest partner in foreign policy.
That’s compared to 19 percent of respondents to the same poll in September 2019.
Between that time period, the number of Germans who prioritize buddying up to Washington over Beijing decreased from 50 percent to 37 percent, pointing to a “trend toward transatlantic estrangement,” the researchers said.
The researchers noted that experts and politicians predict that Germany will eventually be forced to choose sides should the rivalry between the US and China continue on its current trajectory.
“Beijing’s growing popularity will undoubtedly complicate such a decision,” they wrote.
More than 1,000 Germans were interviewed for the poll, which was conducted between April 3 and April 9.