Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Jan 16, 2026

A poll conducted by Ipsos for Euronews among 26,000 Europeans in 18 member states found that nearly half (47%) have a positive opinion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, this opinion varies greatly among countries.

Zelensky is the most liked European leader out of eight surveyed but also the most divisive, with 32% having a negative view and 21% expressing they don't know enough about him.

Zelensky, who has been a prominent figure in European news due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and his travels to Europe, topped headlines for the past two years.

In the Nordic region and Iberian Peninsula, Ukrainian President Zelensky has a high approval rating, with Finland (81%), Sweden (74%), Denmark (72%), and Portugal (72%) having the most positive opinions.

However, in Hungary (60%), Greece (57%), and Bulgaria (56%), there is a negative view of Zelensky.

Italy's Giorgia Meloni and the Czech Republic's Petr Fiala are vocal supporters of Ukraine and have implemented pro-Ukraine policies, despite negative public opinions in their countries.

Other European countries where negative opinions outweigh positive ones include Slovakia (50% against 26%), Austria (47% against 33%), Italy (41% against 32%), and the Czech Republic (37% against 36%).

Germany, the EU's leading donor of military assistance, also has a significant presence in supporting Ukraine.

The text discusses the results of a poll regarding public opinion towards Ukrainian President Zelensky in Germany, Romania, and Poland.

In Germany and Romania, opinions are divided, with roughly equal numbers having positive (41% in Germany, 49% in Romania) and negative (36% in Germany, 40% in Romania) views.

In contrast, Poland, which has seen protests over low-cost Ukrainian grain, has a more positive assessment (57%).

Regarding voting intentions ahead of the June elections, Zelensky is favored by supporters of main pro-European parties, including the European People's Party, Socialists & Democrats, liberals of Renew Europe, and the Greens.

However, his approval drops to 47% among supporters of the hard-right European Conservatives and Reformists.

A poll conducted by Euronews and Ipsos reveals that opinions on ammunition deliveries to Ukraine are evenly split among the left, with 40% having a positive view and 42% a negative one.

Among supporters of the far-right Identify and Democracy (ID) party, the negative opinion (53%) outweighs the positive one (26%).

Overall, Ukrainian President Zelensky is a divisive figure, with strong reactions both for and against him.

The number of respondents expressing uncertainty is low across all demographics.

The poll also provides insights into Europeans' opinions of other leaders, with French President Emmanuel Macron being the second most favored, with 41% positive opinions versus 34% negative.

However, the French public has the most negative views of Macron, with 62% choosing negative and 28% positive.

Macron is popular in Romania, Greece, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands with approval ratings of 57%, 55%, 53%, 52%, and 50%, respectively.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has a lower profile with 38% expressing they don't know enough about him, while 29% have a positive and 33% a negative opinion.

Germany, Austria, Greece, and Poland have the most negative views of Scholz (61%, 47%, 45%, and 39%, respectively).

Italian leader Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and Polish President Donald Tusk have high "I don't know enough" ratings (43%, 58%, and 50%, respectively), making it difficult to determine their popularity.

Meloni faces negative opinions in Spain (44%), but is well-liked in Romania (54%).

Sánchez and Tusk also receive positive ratings in Romania (49% and 53%, respectively).

A poll conducted among Europeans reveals that Hungary's Viktor Orbán is widely disapproved of, with 48% having a negative opinion of him.

Orbán is known for promoting illiberal democracy, obstructing EU decision-making, and embracing Russian diplomacy.

The sharpest disapproval comes from Sweden (65%) and Finland (64%), followed by Romania (60%), Poland (58%), Austria (58%), the Netherlands (56%), Germany (53%), Denmark (52%), and Hungary itself (54% with a negative opinion).

The poll was conducted after a scandal that forced Hungarian President Katalin Novak to resign, which analysts consider a significant challenge for Orbán's leadership.

The text discusses the results of a Euronews/Ipsos poll regarding the popularity of various world leaders in Europe.

The poll shows that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban sees a more forgiving attitude towards Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, in Bulgaria, with 48% having a positive opinion versus 24% negative.

Putin is the most reviled leader in Europe, with 79% having a negative opinion, wanted by the International Criminal Court over war crimes in Ukraine.

The majority of European countries, including Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and France, have overwhelmingly negative opinions of Putin, with rates above 80%.

However, Bulgaria is an exception, with only 48% having a negative opinion and 37% having a positive one.

This is Putin's highest mark across all the surveyed countries.

A summary of the given text is as follows:

Euronews concluded its series of articles based on an exclusive poll conducted by Ipsos.

A total of 25,916 individuals were surveyed between 23 February and 5 March in 18 EU member states, representing 96% of the EU's population.

The poll results can be found on the EU Elections hub.
Translation:
Translated by AI
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