Germany topped a worldwide popularity poll of nations that was released Thursday, nudging aside last year's winner, Japan, in a survey that was conducted by pollsters in 25 nations, dpa reported. The Country Ratings Poll, commissioned by the BBC, asked respondents to rate 16 countries and the European Union on whether their influence in the world was "mainly positive" or "mainly negative." Germany's positive rating was 59 per cent with only 15 per cent rating it negatively. Canada and Britain were the second- and third-most admired as both scored 55-per-cent positive ratings, but Canada was 13 per cent on the negative side and Britain 18 per cent. Japan was down to fourth place with 51 per cent positive and 27 per cent negative. Iran and Pakistan rated lowest at 15 per cent positive, below North Korea (19 per cent) in the 26,000-person survey. Germany topped the annual survey for the BBC World Service back in 2011 with 60 per cent then dropped last year to 56 per cent. The Germans, most of whom have grown up assuming they are unloved abroad, are constantly surprised by such findings. Many have been deeply hurt recently by news images of Greek and Spanish protesters accusing Chancellor Angela Merkel of acting like a leader in the Third Reich. The fact that it now regularly rates in the top tier comes amid growing media attention in Germany to signs that even former enemies like Britain and France now admire Germany not just for its export prowess but also for its steady-but-slow role on the world stage. With bipartisan support, German taxpayers have carried the main burden of bailing out Greece, Spain and other nations in the eurozone debt crisis. Voter satisfaction with Merkel is seen as likely to secure her a third chancellorship in an election this September. The BBC poll showed that positive views of China and India had fallen sharply around the world. After a period of improvement, views of China, now at ninth, sank to their lowest level since polling began in 2005.
