(Washington) – Democratic President Joe Biden has re-elected the image of the United States that Donald Trump has tarnished abroad, but the image of American democracy has deteriorated, according to a poll released Thursday.
With the US president starting a European tour (Group of Seven, NATO and the European Union) on Thursday with the aim of strengthening transatlantic relations, an investigation by the American think tank Pew showed that the United States has returned to a positive image in some parts of the world.
According to the Pew Center, whose survey included Canada as well as 15 countries in Europe, Asia and the Pacific, 62% of those surveyed had a “positive image” of the United States in 2021, down from just 34% at the end of the year. The mandate of the Republican billionaire who advocated the policy of isolationism.
Three-quarters of those surveyed (75%) believe Biden will make the “right choices in global affairs,” a jump from Donald Trump (17%) last year.
In addition, 77% found Biden to be “qualified” for president, compared to 16% for his predecessor.
The Democratic president, a proponent of pluralism, is particularly praised for his accession to the World Health Organization (89% approval) and the Paris Climate Agreement (85%).
Despite this, the majority of respondents believe that the United States prioritizes its interests over the interests of its allies in foreign policy (67%).
This sentiment is in the majority even among Washington’s closest allies, since Pew asked this question in 2002, the think tank asserts.
Two-thirds of those surveyed (67%) see the United States as a “fairly reliable or highly reliable partner,” according to the Pew Center.
On the future of relations between Washington and its allies, 57% believe it will remain “as is” and 39% believe it will improve.
Finally, the image of American democracy deteriorated after Donald Trump’s term in office, then Republicans challenged Joe Biden’s election and the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
The majority of respondents (57%) think it has not been a good role model in recent years, compared to only 17% who see it as a role model for the government.
And in nearly half of the countries surveyed, those under the age of 30 are more likely to think that the United States has “never” been a good model for other countries.
The Pew survey was conducted between March and May on 16,254 people in 12 to 16 countries depending on the questions (Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan).