"America is back" has been the mantra of American President Joe Biden since he took office.

It doesn't get caught everywhere.

In the United States, over half of all government citizens now give the government bad credit.

In Germany, however, the change from Donald Trump to Joe Biden has evidently led to a turnaround in the climate of opinion.

Because people in this country judge the state of transatlantic relations better than they have done for a long time.

Lorenz Hemicker

Editor in politics

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This is the result of the latest survey by the Körber Foundation, for which the opinion research institute Kantar Public asked over 1,100 adult voters about their foreign policy attitudes in September and October.

Accordingly, 71 percent of those surveyed rate the relationship between Berlin and Washington as good or very good again, after 18 percent in the previous year.

Priorities have shifted

With the change in perspective, the priorities of the foreign policy partners have shifted: for 44 percent, the United States is again the most important.

France, clearly ahead of the US in the Trump era, only remains number one for just over one in four.

Other states hardly come into consideration for the main role, most likely China - for six percent.

There are clear differences in the answers to the question of what exactly the Germans would like the United States to be a partner for. There is still the greatest consensus on the classic alliance function. 73 percent see the USA as a bargaining chip for the defense of Europe. Almost two out of three respondents also rely on them to protect trade routes and human rights in the world, and half also when it comes to dealing with Afghanistan. When it comes to climate protection and dealing with China, on the other hand, only a minority see America as a partner - 41 percent in both cases.

The growing influence of China arouses fears among respondents.

For the first time in four years, a 55 percent majority of Germans judged Beijing's growing influence around the world to be negative.

In contrast, only nine percent consider it positive, 34 percent see it as neutral.

Concern is even greater when it comes to the effects in Germany.

Around one in four considers China to be a major threat to values ​​in this country, and almost half consider it a minor one.

This means that concerns about China's impact on Germany are more widespread than concerns about the impact of Russia, which 16 percent consider a major and 49 percent a minor threat.

Germany as a pioneer in climate protection

However, the Germans do not see either country at the top of the foreign policy challenges.

In the shadow of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the situation in the country ranks first.

31 percent express themselves accordingly.

Climate change follows in second place (21 percent).

When it comes to climate protection, over half see Germany as a pioneer within the European Union.

When asked about the influence of a future Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), the respondents are cautiously optimistic.

50 percent believe that he will represent Germany's interests in the world as well as Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) did.

14 percent even trust him to do better.

27 percent fear that Scholz will fall behind Merkel in terms of foreign policy.

Within the EU, 65 percent would like von Scholz to strengthen foreign and security policy.

Germans are divided on whether a future federal government should also become more involved in international crises or at least hold back.

45 percent are in favor, 50 percent against.

The Germans have therefore not moved on this point.

Trump or Biden.