US: Europeans appear unmoved by a political charm offensive by US president Bush, a major opinion poll has shown. A majority say transatlantic relations are unchanged or have got worse.
The annual Transatlantic Trends survey, conducted this year in nine European Union countries, the United States and Turkey, found 50 per cent of Europeans and Americans think US-European ties have stayed the same, while 25 per cent think they have deteriorated.
Accused of snubbing allies and wielding US power unilaterally in his first term, Mr Bush has made three trips to Europe since his re-election last November, calling for closer partnership with a strong European Union.
But the poll showed 72 per cent of Europeans still disapprove of the Republican president's handling of international affairs; 59 per cent think US global leadership is undesirable; and 55 per cent say the EU should take a more independent approach on security and diplomacy.
The interviews were carried out before the July 7th bombings in London which heightened European fears of terrorism and Islamic militancy, and before Hurricane Katrina devastated the southern United States last week, unleashing both sympathy and criticism in Europe.
Despite their hostility towards Mr Bush, a large majority of Europeans appear to support the main foreign policy priority he enunciated for his second term - promoting democracy around the world. The poll found 74 per cent of Europeans believe the EU should help establish democracy in other countries, whereas just 51 per cent of Americans agreed the US should do so. - (Reuters)