Optimistic US, pessimistic Germany differ on relationship status: survey

A new survey has found that Americans and Germans have notably different perspectives on their partnership. Germans feel less enthusiastic about the US — and crave more independence from Washington.

There is a disconnect between citizens in Germany and the US when it comes to their perceptions of the relationship between the two allies, according to a survey released Tuesday.

The survey, carried out by the Pew Research Center in Washington and the Hamburg-based nonprofit Körber Foundation, reveals that Americans view their relationship with Germany far more positively than that of Germans. Three-quarters of Americans saw the relationship as good, while nearly two-thirds of Germans (64%) saw the relationship as bad.