Europe Underwhelmed by Joe Biden: U.S. Image Stalls in France, Germany

US President Joe Biden arrives on The Ellipse, south of the White House, to board Marine O
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty
Simon Kent

As U.S. President Joe Biden makes final preparations for his trip to Europe, polling released Monday shows the United States’ reputation as the leading global power has suffered in France and Germany under his leadership as China has received a boost.

Reuters reports a survey by the German Marshall Fund and the Bertelsmann Foundation shows he has done nothing to restore the standing of the United States as it was before the coronavirus pandemic struck despite earlier predictions of a globalist renaissance under his administration.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen even went so far as to predict that with the inauguration of Joe Biden, Europe once again has “a friend in the White House,” as Breitbart News reported.

The numbers tell a different story.

“The first three months of the Biden administration have not affected French and German views of U.S. influence in the world,” the study of views in 11 countries said.

“These numbers are in line with the results of the 2020 survey, which had fallen by about 10 points from the pre-pandemic numbers, to the advantage of China.”

Reuters reports that dim view compares with the perception within the United States that U.S. influence abroad has risen, the survey found, and comes after the Biden administration worked to side with the European Union in diplomatic disputes.

Biden embarks on his first European tour as president Wednesday to attend G7, NATO and European Union summits.

He does so against the backdrop of polling showing only 51 percent of Germans see the United States as a reliable partner, rising to 60 percent in France, 67 percent in Britain and 76 percent in Poland, the report shows.

Fewer than a quarter of Turks trust the United States.

A majority of respondents surveyed still think the United States should be involved in the defence and security of Europe, except in Sweden, where views are divided, and Turkey.

Conducted online between March 29 and April 13, the survey sampled 1,000 adults in each of the 11 countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Meanwhile Buckingham Palace says Queen Elizabeth II will meet Biden at Windsor Castle during his visit to the U.K. to attend the G7 leaders’ summit.

The monarch will host the president and first lady Jill Biden on the final day of the June 11-13 summit taking place in Cornwall, England.

Follow Simon Kent on Twitter: or e-mail to: skent@breitbart.com

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