How times change: Germany wins a popularity poll

From "This Week in Germany":

Everybody wants to be loved. You and I, and even whole nations. Well, maybe with the exception of North Korea and Iran - at least they do not seem to try very hard, do they? As a country with quite a bit of historical baggage that does not exactly elicit affection, we are nothing less than absolutely thrilled that, for the fourth year running, we have made it again to the top of the heap in the annual popularity poll conducted for the BBC.
But let’s not get carried away here. This is not a beauty contest. The poll did not ask those interviewed in 25 countries around the world to declare boundless devotion to the culture of a nation other than their own. It did not try to find out the world’s favorite honeymoon destination, either. All that was asked was one simple question, namely whether people believe a given country would have a mainly positive or a mainly negative influence in the world. In the case of Germany, this might result in a train of thought along the following lines: “Well, those Germans, they are not be the most loveable bunch of people, come to think of it, they tend to be rather boring. But they have finally kicked the bad habit of invading their neighbors, they pay their United Nations dues on time, their cars do not fall apart as quickly as some of the others, and I really love those Schnitzels. So let’s give them a B plus for effort.”
Though that might suffice for the purpose of the BBC poll, our own ambitions tend to go a bit further. And even it is not love we are looking for (whether in the right or sometimes in the wrong places) – we do like others to believe that we are responsible and sincere. Most Germans are quite concerned of the fate of the world, not just their own backyard. They want their country to be a good global citizen, to support the right causes, and to cast our lot with the good guys and not the bad guys, even if that comes with a price tag. We expect our government to take a leading role in such pressing issues like global warming or nuclear proliferation, and we simply do not understand how others can live in a state of denial.
Like everything else, this trait comes with a flip side. We might no longer be the bullies in the classroom, but those with whom we are sometimes at odds perceive us as inflexible, self-righteous, or even sanctimonious. Some of our European neighbors probably liked us better as humble supplicants asking for readmission to the club of civilized nations. They certainly do not have a stomach to be lectured by us, as evident during the recent Euro crisis.
While some causes are worth risking a drop in the popularity ratings, some other might be less so. So far we seem to have been able to strike the right kind of balance by and large, if the BBC poll is any evidence. In slight variation of a popular tune from the seventies: You cannot please everyone, but you need to please more than just yourself. Unless you are prepared to trade places with North Korea.
Bernd von Muenchow-Pohl