Europeans 'less confident in Bush'

Europeans are reported to favour Mr Putin over Mr Bush

By European affairs correspondent William Horsley

An opinion poll in four EU states has found that a clear majority of people there disapprove of the way in which US President George W Bush conducts his foreign policy.

His most unpopular decisions are rejection of the Kyoto accord on global warming and the go-ahead for a missile defence shield which would break existing arms control agreements.

The poll confirms the popular image of President Bush in western Europe as a unilateralist American leader who has repeatedly failed to take European opinion into account.

US interests at heart

The poll, which consults about 4,000 people in Germany, Britain, Fance and Italy, shows disapproval of Mr Bush's handling of international affairs by a margin of more than two to one - and that rises to nearly four to one in France.

Opposition to Mr Bush's rejection of the Kyoto accord to lower greenhouse gas emissions is overwhelming, with well over four fifths of respondents disapproving of his stance.

The president's missile defence plans are opposed by a similar majority.

More than seven out of 10 in each country surveyed say the US president acts solely on the basis of US interests in foreign policy.

Worse than Putin

The poll was conducted by the Pew Research Centre in association with the US Council on Foreign Relations.

Its findings from a simultaneous survey of opinion in the United States are more positive.

Americans support George W Bush's international policy by a margin of 42 to 32%.

Americans often accuse Europe of failing to handle its own security problems

In Europe too there is clear-cut support for the decision of Mr Bush to keep American peacekeeping troops in Bosnia and Kosovo.

Still, the generally negative verdict on the US president - even in Britain with its traditionally strong affinity with America - is likely to concern political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic.

A big majority of Europeans believe that US policies were better managed under Mr Bush's predecessor Bill Clinton.

Perhaps most remarkably, people polled in Britain and Italy declare that Mr Bush inspires less confidence than the Russian leader Vladimir Putin.