The poll found that 57 percent of those polled in Western Europe and 60 percent in Eastern Europe said they had no influence on their country’s foreign policy, while 35 percent and 36 percent respectively believed they held some or much leverage.
Answering the question, “What impact does the average person in your country have on foreign policy?” revealed that 60% of respondents in Eastern Europe and 57% in Western Europe think public opinion doesn’t influence foreign policy decisions. On average, only about 5% of respondents in Europe believe that their opinion matters in foreign policy making.
Bulgarians were the least optimistic, with 83 percent saying they had no say in Bulgaria’s foreign relations, followed by 65 percent in Germany and 63 percent in Poland. In the United Kingdom, those skeptical about having an influence on UK foreign policy stood at 55 percent, while the Czech republic brought up the rear with 46 percent.
Respondents in the United States appeared to be divided over the degree of leverage they had over the US government in terms of external affairs. Forty-one percent said they believed they had no say in the matter, while 38 percent said they had little influence. Further 14 percent described their leverage on US foreign affairs as significant.
The survey was carried out from September 25 to October 15, with 1,000 people polled in each of the eight countries surveyed – the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.
About the Sputnik.Polls Project
The international public opinion project kicked off in January 2015, in partnership with Populus, reputable British pollster. The project involves regular surveys in the United States and Europe on the most sensitive social and political issues.
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