A survey conducted by the American public policy and grant-making institution the German Marshall Fund suggests that the popularity of US President Barack Obama in Slovakia is fading. While last year about 76 percent of Slovaks supported him as the leader of the US, this year he would be supported by only 58 percent of respondents here, the SITA newswire reported.
The fund’s survey took place between May 25 and June 17, and gathered the views of 1,000 respondents from 12 European countries, including Slovakia, plus the inhabitants of the USA and Turkey. It was focused on the relations between Europe and the USA, the situation in North Africa, Afghanistan and Iraq, and on the economy.
US Ambassador to Slovakia Theodore Sedgwick said he believes that support for Obama in Slovakia is still big. He considers the weakening American economy to be one of the factors that might have caused the drop in Obama’s popularity.
The survey also showed that only 38 percent of Slovaks support the European financial stability mechanisms. On the other hand, more Slovaks still consider the euro to be beneficial rather than harmful.
Slovaks are also sceptical about the success of the current government in dealing with economic problems. On the other hand, they praise its foreign policy, especially Slovakia’s attitude to Afghanistan.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
