Czechs View Europe More Positively – Austria Tops Latest STEM Survey

The attitudes of the Czech population towards most European countries have improved slightly. At the same time, assessments of individual states and political figures remain highly varied – with clear winners and losers.

According to a recent survey by STEM, there has been an overall moderate increase in favourability ratings towards many European countries compared to the previous year. Switzerland and Austria continue to rank among the most positively rated countries – with Italy now also joining this top group.

Austria is currently perceived most positively: 71 per cent of respondents rated the country with school grades one or two. It is followed by Switzerland with 69 per cent, as well as Italy and Poland with 68 per cent each. Slovakia, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Sweden and Croatia are also rated positively by a majority.

Large European countries have also seen gains: France, Germany and Slovakia each improved by 0.2 points on average. The United Kingdom remains among the frontrunners despite a slight decline.

United States seen in a differentiated way – Trump declines sharply

A mixed picture emerges for the United States: while the country itself has gained slightly in approval, the rating of Donald Trump has dropped significantly. In his second year in office, he has reached a historic low according to the survey.

Russia remains clearly at the bottom of the ranking

Russia remains at the bottom of the scale. With an average rating of 4.1, it continues to be by far the worst-rated country. Sixty-nine per cent of respondents gave it grades four or five. At the same time, Vladimir Putin is also strongly rejected: almost four-fifths of the Czech population rate him negatively.

Ukraine gains in approval

A contrasting trend can be seen in attitudes towards Ukraine: the share of positive ratings rose to 33 per cent, confirming a slow but steady increase in favourability.

Pope remains the most popular figure

Among international figures, the papacy continues to hold the top position. Even after the change at the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV has established himself as the most positively perceived figure overall – as the successor to the late Pope Francis. He is followed by French President Emmanuel Macron in second place and Polish President Karol Nawrocki in third.

Long-term development since the 1990s

The research institute STEM has been examining public attitudes in the Czech Republic towards selected countries since the mid-1990s. Respondents assess their views using the school grading system from one (very good) to five (very poor).

The latest results show a slight shift towards more positive perceptions within Europe, while geopolitical tensions continue to be clearly reflected in how individual countries are viewed.