Poles have an increasingly bad opinion about Germans. In the latest, cyclical survey of the Polish-Germany Barometer, only 32 percent of the Polish people questioned expressed sympathy with the Germans. This is 1 of the worst results since the beginning of this study, which is 25 years.
The level of opposition of Poles towards Germans, declared by 25 percent of respondents, is besides recorded.
"After many years of growth, there was a sharp deterioration of moods towards the western neighbour... This is simply a dramatic decline" – the authors of the study write.
Germany better about Poles
Interestingly, on the another side of the border there is no dulling of moods towards Poles, on the contrary. 42 percent of Germans declare sympathy for the east neighbour – the same as 3 years ago. At the same time, the percent of people who feel aversion to Poles has fallen importantly – present it is only 9 percent.
The fact that it is Germany that is more favorable to look at Poles than the another way circular besides clearly shows the data on the acceptance of Poles/Germans in certain social roles – for example as a neighbour, colleague of work, son-in-law or daughter-in-law. The average affirmative consequence of the Germans is now 87 percent. For Poles, there are only 68 percent affirmative answers.
Key policy preferences
The survey shows at the same time that Poles who were in Germany are more open to Germans in different social roles than those Poles who have never been in that country. Political preferences are also crucial factor.
"Elects of the Citizens' Coalition in all cases show more acceptance than voters of Law and Justice and the Confederacy, and differences scope more than 20 percent points," we read.
– Political and media divisions have become 1 of the most crucial factors shaping the image of the neighbour, especially in Poland. Today, they decide more than age or education, whether individual looks at Polish-German relations through the prism of cooperation or conflict – says Dr Jacek Kucharczyk from the Institute of Public Affairs.
Coherent assessment of bilateral relations
Every year, the Polish-Germany Barometer asks questions about the state of relations between both countries. There is besides a deterioration, although in this case the sentences on both sides of the border are rather similar. presently only half of Poles and Germans believe that relations are in good condition. A 4th of those surveyed on both sides of the border think relationships are bad.
"This change is most likely due to the deficiency of initiatives in Polish-German relations, negative rhetoric on them from the right side of the Polish political scene and misunderstandings between both countries, especially in the issue of migration policy, including the introduction of control on the common border" - reads the report.
However, half of the 2 countries surveyed are inactive affirmative about the state of relations. "In this case, good evaluation can be influenced by: cooperation in the key field of safety (especially the stationing of the German Patriot strategy in Poland, protecting airspace), developing economical or self-government cooperation, but besides the general deficiency of known tensions or disputes from fresh years" - noted the authors.
Still different approaches to history
The issue that has led to disagreements in Polish-German relations for years is the approach to a common, hard history. In the latest edition of the Barometer, as in erstwhile ones, it is clear that Germany wants to focus in relations with Poland on current topics and on the future, while Poles are attaching expanding importance to historical issues.
"This is simply a clear consequence of strong presence in the Polish public debate of rhetoric that advocates the constant return to historical themes in relations with Germany" – it is written.
Clear differences can besides be seen in expectations of Germany about the common past.
According to 60% of Germans, their country has done adequate to make amends for the crimes of planet War II. Only 17 percent of Poles share this view. The fact that Germany has done far besides small is convinced by 1 3rd of the questions in Poland. In Germany, that's only 3 percent.
Among the people who believe that Germany has insufficiently accounted for Poland's most indicated form of redress is payment of reparations. This is what 25 percent of the surveyed Poles expect, but only 2 percent of Germans.
– Debate on reparations or damages comes back all erstwhile in a while and powerfully affects the temper of Poles. Germany is dominated by the belief that the subject has been closed. This is 1 of the most hard lines of division in the dialog between our societies – emphasizes Dr. Agnieszka Łada-Konefal, Deputy manager of the German Institute of Polish Affairs in Darmstadt, co-author of the Barometer.
The Germans are armored, is that a origin for concern?
After the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022 Germany made a return (so-called Zeitenwende) in an approach to its own armed forces, which in fresh decades have been reduced and military spending reduced. Now Berlin is planning massive investments in its army. The evaluation of the case was besides asked in this year's Barometer.
It turns out that 48% of Poles believe that strengthening the German army besides increases the safety of Poland and another allies in the region. However, 25 percent of those questioned have concerns about Germany's increasing military force, given Polish-German history.
In Germany, 59 percent of those asked believe that strengthening the Bundeswehr besides serves Poland. However, 24% are afraid about expanding military investment.
As we read in the Barometer, in Poland the support for German armaments increased powerfully after the Russian invasion, but in the last 2 years it is possible to observe the downward trend. "On the 1 hand, this is the consequence of a certain adjustment of Polish public opinion to war.... On the another hand, this is linked to a strong anti-German discourse on the dangers which, according to any right-wing politicians, are caused by Germany and German politics."
Political preferences again
The authors besides point out that the opinion on German arms is powerfully correlated with the political sympathy of the people asked. The vast majority (70%) of voters presently ruling the coalition in Poland have no problem with the fact that the German army is becoming stronger. The right-wing voters (PiS, Confederacy, Crown) think differently. 40% of them, much more than the average, have concerns about this.
The survey "Barometer Poland – Germany" was prepared by the Institute of Public Affairs, the German Institute of Polish Affairs, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Polish-German Cooperation Foundation. Ipsos was liable for the research. The survey was conducted utilizing the CAWI (Internet Panel) method on a typical example of a 1000 Polish residents and a 1000 German residents.
