What Europeans think of each other



This is a basic backgrounder for Americans, primarily, who might think Europeans do nothing all day but bitch about Americans. Don’t get me wrong—they do love bitching about Americans. But they also like bitching about each other, as well. Bordering countries, especially, have complex caricatures of each other, even when an outsider might think they’re more or less the same. The following is based on my numerous interactions with Europeans, having lived there for 4 years. Here’s a run down:

The French — Disliked by some Spanish (particularly the Catalonians), for being arrogant. One woman from Barcelona told me, “Come on¦who really likes the French? Nobody!” The Swiss don’t like the fact that they have contempt for authority and are lazy. The Brits, of course, have the most mixed feelings about the French, though. One half the country hates them, the other half loves them. Those that hate the French tend to like the Americans, and vice versa. In the UK, they’re considered stinky, rude (they never line/queue up like decent people), and a bit yellow, based on their tendency to not fend off invaders like the Nazis.The French, in turn, dislike the British, look down on Belgians for being stupid, and don’t have much to say, in my experience, about Spaniards or Germans (oddly).

The Italians — Most of the stereotypes are positive, but mostly because of the food. Northern Europeans consider them lazy and flaky, and maybe incapable of managing anything right (mostly because of the 50+ governments they’ve had since WW2). One Dutch professor I had dismissed another Italian one, saying, “All the Italians care about are pasta and mamma.”Italians, in turn, don’t have strong feelings about other Europeans, but within Italy, the north-south divide is pretty strong. Northern Italians continuously complain that Southerners are lazy and unproductive, while Southerners complain that Northerners are devoid of culture or joie de vivre.

The Germans — Germans are considered industrious but uptight and humorless, by just about all the other Europeans. They know WW2 is a sore spot for them, so other Europeans will often mercilessly tease them about it. As much as Germany is considered an economic powerhouse, the vast majority of Europeans don’t really want to learn German or study there (or send their kids there to study). The food is considered uninspired, too, and only Berlin has some cachet among younger Europeans for its vibrant underground club scene. The most anti-German sentiments are among the Dutch and Danish, who just hate them from invading their countries too often. When German ask for directions in Holland, they’re usually given directions to the shortest way out of the country, or told “Give us back our bikes!”, a reference to the fact that Germans confiscated Dutch bicycles during WW2.Danes hate it when you pronounce their capital as “ko-pen-HAH-gen”, because this is the German pronunciation. Either pronounce it the English way (with “HAY” instead), or the Danish way, which is literally impossible to put down here.Germans tend to like their Western neighbors far more than they are liked by them, but they look down on their Eastern neighbors, particularly Poles. They, oddly, have some mixed respect for the Czechs, who have resisted German aggression.

The Scandinavians — Widely respected by most other Europeans, because of their high standard of living …and blond hair and blue eyes. However, within Scandinavia there are some persistent stereotypes. The Norwegians, Danes and Finns all think the Swedes are stupid and uptight. Norwegians are considered racist. Danes are considered more blunt than the others, maybe a bit more cranky, and the Finns are oddly introverted, even by Scandinavian standards. Except for the Danes really disliking Germans, and Finns really disliking Russians, they don’t really have anything against other Europeans.

The Belgians — Considered idiots by both the Dutch and the French. Belgians, in turn, consider the Dutch to be a bunch of cranky assholes, and French stuck-up.

The Dutch — The Dutch, like the Scandinavians, have an enviable economy and social order that’s admired by southern European countries. However, they do have a reputation of being self-righteous “know-it-alls” and very similar to their German cousins in terms of their rigidity. But they do not like any comparisons to Germans, and if you remind them that the Dutch national anthem makes a reference to the Dutch being “van Duitse bloed” (from German blood), you might quickly get the silent treatment. The Dutch are also disliked for being the biggest misers in Europe, and because of this they incur the wrath of the tourist industry wherever they travel. The Dutch have been known to stock up on water before they take their campers down to the south of France.The Dutch, in turn, kind of look down on just about everyone. Yes, there’s a bit of a reason for the “know-it-all” smart-ass reputation they have.

The Swiss — Considered extremely rigid, even by the Germans. Blunt to the point of being rude, the Swiss probably have the least likely reputation for being characterized as “friendly” or “warm”. Note that there is a big cultural divide between French-speaking Swiss, and the German-speaking Swiss. The former are almost exactly like the French, except having a blander cuisine and more respect for authority, the latter being more like the Germans except even more stiff, rigid and cranky. However, everyone knows Switzerland “works” so the fact that foreigners comprise 20% of the population (mostly from EU member states) should make this clear.Note that the German-speaking Swiss also speak their own variant of German, which sounds very strange if you’ve only been exposed to standard “hoch-Deutsch”.

The Spaniards — Honestly, very little antagonism against the Spanish or by the Spanish. No one really seems to dislike them, and they don’t seem to really dislike anyone else. (Yes, some Spaniards near the border to France don’t like the French very much) Not entirely sure why. However, God forbid you speak Spanish with a Latin American accent — there is still a lot of snobbery among Spaniards towards Latin Americans. Spaniards consider themselves white and European, and would be deeply insulted if you suggested they were Latin American of any kind.

The Greeks — Only nominally considered European by other Europeans, but the Greeks fiercely identify as European. Naturally, this is a huge irritant to Greeks.

The Poles — Not much seems to register about Poland and the Poles except that they’re quiet. They are a relatively big country (40 million people) so the supposed scare of being overrun by Eastern Europeans when a bunch of Eastern European countries joined the EU in 2005 focused in on the Poles. The Germans really don’t like Poles, and among Germany’s 9 neighbors, are disliked the most. Poland is considered a country of car thieves by the Germans. Really, the relationship between Germany and Poland is similar to that of the United States and Mexico, and often for many of the same reasons (differences in income, history of war, different languages, etc.).Poles really shore up their hatred for their eastern & southern neighbors, primarily Russia and Ukraine, although they don’t like Czechs, Slovaks or Lithuanians either. Oddly, they don’t really mind the Germans, and probably still fear them a bit — you never, ever hear jokes about Germans in Poland.

The Czechs — Considered a relatively bright spot of Eastern Europe by Western Europeans, but I think primarily because Prague is such a gorgeous city and a popular tourist destination. Czechs are a bit like Germans, though — a bit rude, blunt, and cold. Poles don’t have much good to say about them.

The Austrians — Considered a mix of the best & worst aspects of Germany and the Balkans, Austrians are considered laid-back but very nationalistic and racist. They’re said to be the birthplace of Hitler, but never came around to being fully apologetic about the Holocaust (unlike Germany). Neutral feelings from most ofWestern Europe, negative feelings from Germans (who consider them backwards, and not always the representing the best image of German-speaking people) and admired by Eastern Europeans (a throwback to the Hapsburgs).

The British – About half of the British would be really angry at being called European, so that should provide an apt starting point. The main beef with the Brits is that they’re considered the lapdog of the U.S., and are anti-European because the U.S. tells them to be so. They are considered polite, but maybe a bit two-faced (hence “Janus Britain”) and snobby. The Scots and Welsh are tolerated and liked, inasmuch as that no one really knows too much about them outside the UK, but the English are those that bear the brunt of negative sentiments among other Europeans. After all, London is in England.
The English also have a poor reputation in tourist traps, such as Amsterdam and Ibiza, for being loud-mouthed, obnoxious drunks.
The English, in turn, really seem to hate everyone. This is because it’s pretty hard to find an Englishman that has even, at best, neutral opinions about other Europeans (or Americans, or other nationalities). Europe is full of English expats, and the longer they live abroad, the more they seem to hate their host country. And yet they never seem to want to move home.

The Irish — A very small country, despite its exaggerated importance in Americans’ minds (just over 3 million) but considered polite and humble. They nominally dislike the English, but I have yet to meet an Irishman who really loathes the English. The sentiments towards the Irish and by the Irish seem to be positive, overall.
I personally don’t know much about how the Portuguese, Hungarians, Romanians, Bulgarians, and others are perceived, or how they perceive others, but if you have something to add, please do so in the comments below.

I’ll leave you with this poster I saw in an Italian office years ago, that helps sum it up in some ways:

In Heaven…

  • the mechanics are German
  • the chefs are French
  • the police are British
  • the lovers are Italian
  • and everything is organized by the Swiss.

In Hell…

  • the mechanics are French
  • the police are German
  • the chefs are British
  • the lovers are Swiss
  • and everything is organized by the Italians.

Update: Here’s my follow-up after this post got an avalanche of traffic and comments.

Another update: Here’s a related post on what Americans think about Europeans.

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638 Comments »

  1. Best ever slagging off of a German:

    German pilot, German airline, German airport: Asks tower a question in German.

    Tower (in English): If you want an answer you must ask in English.

    German: Im German, in Germany, flying a German plane.. why do I have to speak English?

    English pilot: Because you lost the bloody war…

    Gotta laff! :)

    Comment by isabella snow — September 25, 2007 @ 10:47 pm

  2. Ha ha, that’s a good one! I’m afraid we’ll all be enjoying jokes like that one at the Germans’ expense for quite some time. ;)

    Comment by JM — September 26, 2007 @ 9:47 pm

  3. Greetings from an English teacher! Nice writeup about What Europeans think of each other. I would have to agree with you on this one. I am going to look more into live abroad. This Saturday I have time.

    Comment by Emily M. — September 29, 2007 @ 8:49 am

  4. Hope you consider living abroad, even for a while. It’s an eye-opening experience – truly changes you forever.

    Comment by JM — September 30, 2007 @ 9:49 pm

  5. I’m Dutch, and come to think of it, you’re quite right about us, although it’s a little old fashioned. It’s said that we also pile up whole bags of potatoes and brown beans before going on vacation in France, with our caravans. :-) Germans also ‘hate’ us for just those things, ’cause it slows them down on the Autobahn. The other day, when I was in Germany the first German I met asked where I parked my “wohnwagen”. Gotta love ‘em for that. hehehe. (no I don’t have one).

    By the way, in Germany you don’t have a maximum speed on the highway, which is why we Dutch like them too. On the other hand, when the Germans come to visit our beaches, they tend to dig holes in them, to sit in and drink their own beer. We like to make fun of that too, ’cause: WHY DIG A HOLE IN THE BEACH? Maybe it’s their trench war instinct ;-) .

    Nice article! Fun read.

    Comment by tgm3 — February 19, 2008 @ 8:26 pm

  6. My Dad used to say “the Wogs begin at Calais” but he was a bit of a racist and a WW2 vet. I was born in England my Mum is a Scot my Dad was of Irish descent and our last name is Welsh in origin so go figure. That’s probably why I live in he States and try to get along with everyone, even the French.

    Comment by john — February 19, 2008 @ 9:35 pm

  7. I’m from Germany, have been to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Holland, France, Italy, England, Czech, Hungary and Portugal and met many people from other European countries. And I must say, you are right on spot. Funny read :-)
    (Of course, not everybody is like that, but you got the tendencies right.)

    Comment by Lars Pohlmann — February 19, 2008 @ 9:48 pm

  8. That’s a great article on stereotyping Europeans. It’s certainly a fact that by traveling across Europe wich I have done myself you gain more respect for fellow Europeans. Something we should all do, traveling broadens your horizon :)

    Comment by Belgian living in Thailand — February 19, 2008 @ 10:06 pm

  9. A couple of friends of mine who are Spanish sociologists were over for dinner the other night and they were talking about the time the spent in Portugal. The most striking characteristic (to their minds) was how the Portuguese have an incredibly strong tie their history – namely their long-defunct empire. Numerous anecdotes, such as the Weather Reporter who after giving the forecast in the Azores and Cape Verde always says, and now the forecast on the “Continent” – referring to Portugal. Their TV is rife with documentaries talking about their glorious past, you can never have a conversation with a native without somehow turning to historical battles won by the Portuguese, how Portugal extended its global empire, etc. Think of in these terms: You in Portugal: “Please pass the salt”; Random Portuguese: “That reminds me of the famous battle of Carrimbe, where the brave Portuguese fleet defeated the Dutch and won Macao. You get the picture.

    They also said the Portuguese are extremely proper in how they speak to people and generally very polite. An old world charm, so to speak :)

    Oh, and they hate the Spanish, who as a whole tend to be quite a bit louder and ruder than the Portuguese.

    Comment by Jorge — February 19, 2008 @ 10:30 pm

  10. what a piece of crap!
    the spaniards are disliked else and everywhere, for being the stupid and arrogants -not to mention completely racists-, beasts they are!

    Comment by Jordan — February 19, 2008 @ 11:04 pm

  11. Whahahaha i’m Dutch and it’s so bloody true! The whole list. Though you forgot the Portugese, but hey! We all tend to forget about them. Swiss isn’t the European Union and so not considered European.

    We don’t really consider the Belgiums as idiots. We like to make fun of them but as friends. We are not hostile towards eachother.

    The Spanish have a good reputation. It’s true they don’t work hard. But that’s the same for all the countries south of Belgium and Germany. Spanish are known as cheerfull and enjoying life. We from the north can’t stand their culture where they take Siesta for a couple of hours during the day! Where i’m form you work the day and sleep the night.

    French are also considered kind of cowards, for there role in the war (the collaborated), very rude. And refuse to speak any other language then French.

    Hey i’m Dutch so i have to be a smartass, kind of…:)

    Comment by Stephen — February 19, 2008 @ 11:34 pm

  12. Even better slagging off of an arrogant German ground controller at Frankfort International Airport. This airport has a confusing layout, calling for careful taxi-ing of your jet liner. This is compounded by their notoriously impatient and rigid ground controllers, who expect you to know how to get around to your gate without assistance. This exchange was between Frankfort ground control and a British Airways 747 with the call sign of Speedbird 206.

    Speedbird 206: “Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of active runway.”

    Ground: “Speedbird 206, taxi to gate Alpha One-Seven.”

    The BA 747 pulled onto the main taxiway and slowed to a stop.

    Ground: “Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?”

    Speedbird 206: “Stand by Ground, I’m looking up our gate location now.”

    Ground (with quite arrogant impatience): “Speedbird 206, have you not been to Frankfurt before!?”

    Speedbird 206 (cooly): “Yes, twice in 1944, but it was dark…….and I didn’t land.”

    Comment by BBB — February 19, 2008 @ 11:37 pm

  13. Brilliant piece of writing! Im dutch, and work at a holliday park, so i meet a lot of ‘m, and its all true!

    Keep up the good work!

    Comment by Field — February 19, 2008 @ 11:46 pm

  14. i dated a finnish girl, who told me that all finns believe swedes (at least the male ones) to be gay and effeminate

    Comment by matt — February 20, 2008 @ 12:02 am

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  16. The Irish seriously dislike Romainian’s, on account of a lot of gypsies coming here, although they might not be from Romania the general opinion is they all are. Most of the gypsies are very beggers.

    Our only opinion of the Portuguese, Hungarians & Bulgarians are in relation to their football teams.

    And we now have a LOT of Poles here, although we too see them as quiet, and in a way see ourselves from 30 years ago in them.

    Comment by James McCarthy — February 20, 2008 @ 12:06 am

  17. I am german and I do have to chuckle about these jokes.

    also that summary of europe is very accurate. Good job :)

    Comment by Farox — February 20, 2008 @ 12:07 am

  18. The Brits, of course, have the most mixed feelings about the French, though. One half the country hates them, the other half loves them. Those that hate the French tend to like the Americans

    Err, you’re mistaken, I’m a “Brit” and I hate both of you.

    Comment by gorgomon — February 20, 2008 @ 12:41 am

  19. Regarding the joke:
    Shouldn’t they be speaking Russian since they lost the war?
    Just saying… Russia did by far most of the fighting.

    Comment by agilman — February 20, 2008 @ 1:08 am

  20. The Portugese hate the Spanish. And the fact that the Portugese also extensively shop in Spain because it’s cheaper there makes them hate the Spanish all the more. The Spanish relationship with the Portugese is somewhat like the English relationship with the Scots or the Irish.

    Comment by GE — February 20, 2008 @ 1:15 am

  21. If anyone has any opinions about where the Portuguese fit in, I’d love to hear them. For business and personal reasons, I seem to have a growing connection with that country but I still don’t have a feel yet for how they fit in with the rest of Europe.

    Comment by cs — February 20, 2008 @ 1:16 am

  22. The Spaniards hate the Portuguese and vice versa (basically the latter never forgave the former for invading them in the 1600s and the Spaniards resent being pushed out). Galicians, while technically part of Spain, feel ambivalent, as linguistically they are closer to Portuguese and isolated overall (much like the Basques).

    Romanians and Hungarians (Magyars) have “issues” as well, based on the minority population of the latter in the former.

    Comment by BNS — February 20, 2008 @ 1:19 am

  23. Ireland has over 6 million people and Northern Ireland (part of the UK, but you didn’t mention them in the section about Britain) has perhaps 2 million people.

    Ireland is of exaggerated importance because the Irish diaspora numbers 80 million and a good portion of that number were immigrants and children of immigrants to the US over the last couple of centuries.

    Comment by elissaF — February 20, 2008 @ 1:21 am

  24. In my dealings with the Icelandic, as well as picking up the general vibe from others in England, it seems most people either don’t know anything about the Icelandic or find them to be somewhat like the Scandinavians, shy but fun and not afraid to be different in a somewhat hip way. In return, they have little hatred for anyone else, although they seem to have this innate, but unspoken, feeling that Iceland is really where all the action is, and that the rest of the world is missing out. Either that, or they really do hate us and don’t act on it at all.. :)

    Comment by Peter Cooper — February 20, 2008 @ 1:24 am

  25. Ummm… the Scandinavians are all lumped together, but the biggest omission is Portugal – kind of hard to understand, not exactly a country with little relevance in world history, let alone Europe.

    I’ve found the British part funny, but perhaps lacking in considering the full picture… I’m Welsh though :)

    Comment by SL — February 20, 2008 @ 1:24 am

  26. As for the nations you don’t have data on, I can tell you that there’s no love lost between the Romanians and the Hungarians, that’s for sure. The Hungarians, as far as I can tell, consider the Romanians to be a bunch of hicks, and the Romanians return the love by seeing many Hungarians as stuck-up.

    Comment by Derek Lowe — February 20, 2008 @ 1:43 am

  27. I work with a Bulgarian guy. He said that the Bulgarians relate mostly with the Greeks. He likes Russia, and Russians. He hates gypsies. I have not ever heard him say anything bad about other European countries.

    Comment by Dave — February 20, 2008 @ 1:45 am

  28. I’d like to comment on the Poles description (as I’m one of them :)

    First of all: we Poles like the Czechs very much, for their humour, great food and general ‘coolness’.
    Slovakians are somewhat neutral.
    We dislike Russians because we think they are thugs and drunkards (although I’ve heard from some Russians that in fact we drink much more).
    We don’t have any strong feelings for the Germans, neither positive nor negative. It’s like we know they are right next to us, but we don’t really want to know them. Although, I must admit, Poles have some respect for the Germans, you can sometimes hear older people saying that when germans occupied Poland there was order (a thing we lack a bit now). Also it is not true that we have no jokes about Germans. There is a whole series of jokes that start with “There was a Pole, Russian and a German…”, in which the German always ends up being the stupidiest.

    Comment by badluck — February 20, 2008 @ 1:47 am

  29. I’ll try to give you some idea about what stereotypes we have in Hungary about others.

    Romans: they steel, they took away Transilvania from us, and one other interesting thing is that everyone except Romanians and Hungarians mix the two capitals, Budapest, and Bucarest.

    Russians: they invided us after WWII for 55 years. Ah, and also in 1956 they came in with the tanks.

    Russians, and Ukrainians are considered to be the maffia in Hungary.

    Croats, Slovens: as far as I know, everyone is OK with them.

    Serbs, Slovaks: they don’t treat the Hungarian minority in their country too well.

    The Austrians: well I think Hungarians admire them, because they were on the other side of the iron-wall, they have higher standard of living.

    When you say in Hungarian “Balkan”, it means chaotic, dirty.

    Comment by Flöcsy — February 20, 2008 @ 1:53 am

  30. > In Hell…
    > * the chefs are British

    Actually, this is one case where the stereotype is flat-out wrong. Many of the best restaurants in the world are in the UK according to food critics. From Wikipedia:

    > In 2005 British cuisine reached new heights when 600 food critics writing for (British) Restaurant magazine named 14 British restaurants among the 50 best restaurants in the world with the number one spot going to The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire and its chef Heston Blumenthal.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_cuisine#International_and_fusion_cuisine

    Comment by Jim — February 20, 2008 @ 1:53 am

  31. My Latvian grandparents told me that the way to swear in Latvian is to just say the same word but in German or Russian… i guess because they’ve basically spent most of their histing being occupied by either of those countries.

    Comment by Brent the Closet Geek — February 20, 2008 @ 1:54 am

  32. The Greeks absolutely hate the Turks. Turkey’s isn’t part of the EU but is geographically part of Europe and part of Asia, the border being the Bosphoros / Istanbul Strait
    The Greeks and Italians seem to like each other too.

    The English like the Scots and will most likely support Scotland in an international football match. The Scots dislike England and will most likely support England’s opponent in an international Football match.

    Comment by NR — February 20, 2008 @ 2:26 am

  33. Hi,

    Most Scandinavians that I have talked to do not consider Finland to be a part of Scandinavia (as well as Iceland).

    Comment by Steve — February 20, 2008 @ 2:42 am

  34. Great post, though I’d like to see more about your take on the Balkan countries, considering the wars and rivalries between them are so much more real and recent than the rest of Europe. (And yes, Greece is in the Balkans, but they don’t consider themselves as such :)

    Comment by ellie — February 20, 2008 @ 2:47 am

  35. Nice article, Since I am Dutch, I can give some remarks about the Dutch and their position within Europe.

    Things aren’t as sharp as posed in your article and some of it can be categorized as caricature. Europe as such is a balancing act of many culture clashes and the borders are more or less correct according cultural borders, still, people living in borders areas of both neighboring countries share much of their cultures. Political the European borders are more strict than it’s cultural borders.

    For the Netherlands there are 4 main cultural areas, Holland and the southwest share their culture with Flanders (Belgium) but the more north you go in Holland the more anti authorial the people are. I live there, so I know a bit of them, they are mostly attracted to Anglo Saxon culture and somewhat to Francophone culture, we live on the crossroads of 2 cultures, we speak a mixture of Lower Saxon and Lower Frankish, our dialect is imposed on the other parts of the Netherlands as being standard Dutch, we are the most cocky people from the Netherlands, maybe it’s because people from Holland created their own land.
    The second area is Friesland, this is an older culture than the Netherlands exist, they are Anglo Saxon and Scandinavian oriented and because they have to live they are oriented towards Holland, But I am not sure whether they just tolerate us or like us, probably the former, they speak Frisian and Dutch.
    The 3rd area is the eastern part of the Netherlands, this part is oriented towards Germany, they are more rural oriented and tend to rightly mistrust people from Holland because their life speed is slower and people from Holland tend to use their speed to intimidate or conn others, the people east speak Lower Saxon and Dutch. It is also the poorest part of the Netherlands.
    The 4th is Brabant, they share Belgium culture, this is a rural part and was somewhat industrious and second poorest part of the Netherlands, here the people speak Lower Frankish and Dutch. They have the same relation with the people from Holland as the east has.
    The 5th area is Limburg, this used to be a quite large country at it self spanning large areas in Germany and Belgium. They speak as far as I know High Saxon combined with Lower Frankish, and of course Dutch, like others they have to eat and make a living in the Netherlands. I do not know a lot about Limburg culture.

    As far as people from Holland hating Germans, as most from the east don’t hate Germans at all, they share culture more than with people from Holland. The hate is fading here in Holland, we mostly admire Germans for their honesty and hard working, The Netherlands also has the largest economical ties with Germany and then others. In Holland we tend to like Anglo Saxon humor but in other parts of the Netherlands this is different.

    The nice thing of Europe is that what I just wrote down is true for all countries, everywhere you go is a crossroad of cultures, more than you can count. Also culture in Europe goes much deeper than the current political system and will probably survive it too in the long run.

    Comment by Bas — February 20, 2008 @ 2:50 am

  36. Actually heard the “I want my bicycle back” joke in West Flanders (Gent Belgium) in 1989. Plant where I was working had a German contractor working in the control room. Belgian operator said this after German left the room for lunch.

    Another: Why are the avenues in Paris lined with trees? So German soldiers can march in the shade.”

    Bartender at hotel in Gent was very nice to elderly German couple as they returned from dinner. Then, after they disappeared around the corner toward the elevator, he snapped off a Nazi salute at them. heh.

    Descriptions of Belgians, Dutch and English are spot on.

    Comment by Steve — February 20, 2008 @ 2:55 am

  37. The Basque Country in the Pyrenees between France and Spain is probably the biggest reason for tension between the two countries. ETA, the Basque nationalist terror group, are active on both sides of the border, since their historical territory currently falls within both countries. The Spanish side is a bit more lax toward the idea of Basque autonomy, while the French are typically resistant.

    Comment by Jesse — February 20, 2008 @ 3:05 am

  38. I’m amazed that you articulated your observations so well, although I have to disagree with you on the Norwegians, all the ones we know were very friendly (although they have the tendency to be a bit crazy sometime!).

    Comment by Tan — February 20, 2008 @ 3:29 am

  39. You can add that the Swiss think the Austrians are idiots. The jokes about them are available in abundance. Especially in the border regions.
    And the Germans are considered stuck-up. With their nobility titles ‘Von und Zu’. I guess that comes from its founding when they kicked some Habsburgian butt to get their independence.

    Comment by phn — February 20, 2008 @ 3:29 am

  40. Some people think the Portuguese speak Spanish, which really pisses them off because they don’t really like them, perhaps because they are in competition for the quality of oranges, olives and wine and generally lose.

    In the Algarve there are a lot of pale British and German holiday makers – colloquially referred to as ‘bife’, or beef, the colour they go in the sun. They are generally disliked but tolerated because the region relies on tourism. The British expats throughout the country are judged by how well they integrate, which mostly means pretty pooly.

    You are right about the like the French/hate the French divide amongst the English. The likers tend to be the intellectual, upper-middle class liberals who enjoy the sensual language and literature, revere the food and idolise the French country-side and rural way of life. The haters are the bourgeois, Conservative, anti-Europe, middle Englanders, to whom meat and two veg is the right sort of meal for an Englishman, none of that poncy foreign muck thank you very much. You’ll see them reading the Daily Mail and complaining about young people. I dislike them as much as they dislike the French. It’s not that simple though, even though I love French culture and food they’re still a bunch of arrogant cheese-eating bastards.

    Comment by James — February 20, 2008 @ 3:58 am

  41. I’ve got to say those national assessments seem pretty spot on. Germans can be such a stiff, prickly lot but I still like them. Also, I actually really enjoy German cuisine (probably says more about me than German food but, hey… it is good stuff).
    You want lousy cuisine? Go to Finland. I lived there for a year and at one point ate potatoes twice a day for 30 days straight (I was in college at the time but still). Blood sausage? Check. Blood pancakes (yes. they really eat this. I’m not kidding)? Check. Liver casserole (maksalaatikko)? Check! To be fair, Finns are a solid, strong people (and they have awesome salmiakki and koskenkorva. Google them). Certainly I have a positive opinion of them… it’s just… that food.

    Comment by Janus — February 20, 2008 @ 4:08 am

  42. Hah! Exactly right (on perceived stereotypes, that is), at least as far as the ones that I’ve had experience with. One of the jokes I heard about the Finnish while living in Germany:

    How do you tell an extrovert Fin?
    He’s staring at YOUR shoes when he’s talking to you.

    Comment by NM — February 20, 2008 @ 4:29 am

  43. Q. What’s a German without the fantastic sense of humor?
    A. A Swede.

    A few stereotypes to fill the void: Hungarians are incredibly atrocious drivers – aggressive and scary, even if their cars are midget-sized. Romanians are lost in medieval times. Andorra is a giant outlet mall. Spain is 30 different countries waiting to break apart. Swiss hire Germans to be their maids. Germans regard Austrians as a third world country. Danish people are incredibly racist against Eskimos. Iceland has the most beautiful population in the world because they are the descendants of all the hottest women the Vikings kidnapped from every other country in Europe. And Welsh are kind, wise, soulful, sexy, geniuses :)

    Comment by Mary M. — February 20, 2008 @ 5:14 am

  44. Another one about the Germans:

    An American pilot was having difficulty following the lights at the Berlin airport; the traffic controler sneeringly asked him if he had ever been to Berlin before. The reply was, “Just twice, in 1944, but I didn’t land.”

    Comment by baddog — February 20, 2008 @ 5:15 am

  45. Hi

    I’m was born in England ( North) of Irish descent and have lived in Australia for many years, when I travel I tend to be a chameleon. So:
    In Aus i’m Australian
    In NZ i’m English
    In Europe i’m Irish
    In northern England i’m English ( northern)
    In southern England I’m Australian
    In Scotland and Wales i’m Australian
    In Canada i’m anything
    In Ireland I’m Irish
    I haven’t been to the US

    Comment by Tony — February 20, 2008 @ 5:15 am

  46. C’mon – Norwegian considered racist? By whom? The rest of scandinavia? And towards whom? I really would like to know this, and how you’ve come up with such an idea.

    Norwegians have jokes about Sweden, and Sweden have jokes about Norway – it’s not racism, it’s mere quarreling between siblings.

    ..the rest of the article is however pretty accurate. Nice observations throughout. (Which is part of the reason I want to know about that racism part – you might just have something; and we might be completely oblivious to it, as we tend to be towards a lot of things :-)

    Comment by OR — February 20, 2008 @ 5:16 am

  47. That was really entertaining to read. And completly true :-)

    Comment by cyberfreak77 — February 20, 2008 @ 5:32 am

  48. Unless you’re talking to someone who was over the age of 14 during WWII, you’ve got no business making fun of Germans for what their parents did; *that* is racism.

    Comment by Eliezer Yudkowsky — February 20, 2008 @ 5:41 am

  49. [...] What Europeans think of each other @ Dailycandor [...]

    Pingback by What Europeans think of each other : ARSCHBRAND — February 20, 2008 @ 5:42 am

  50. [...] Read the rest of the post here [...]

    Pingback by Daily Candor » What Europeans think of each other — February 20, 2008 @ 6:06 am

  51. Good article!
    When I read about the Dutch I thought like.. “Yep, that’s me allright!”! :D
    You forgot one thing about the French though which whole Europe seems to dislike, the fact that they don’t speak english and if they do, they won’t.
    And the Belgiums are considerd dumb by the Dutch (which is not true) and the Belgiams think we are cheap (which is true)!

    The reason North-Europe seems to dislike the south is because they are “lazy”. But in my opinion it’s because the south has more culture and enjoys like, carpe diem! North-Europe is more like, life to work! So I admire the southern countries for that one, they do know how to live their lifes!

    Great article, very true and entertaining!

    Comment by wesleyvk — February 20, 2008 @ 6:22 am

  52. do some study before you post anything – no german jokes in poland (but i can’t expect you to understand polish, right?), czechs resisted resisted germany (not much really), i don’t know much of the dutch and danish but trust me, poles (especially older people) have as much love to germans as – according to you – these other nations do. quiet nation (true or not (more likely) i’ll take it for the silence is golden).

    Comment by polak ;) — February 20, 2008 @ 6:22 am

  53. I think this article can only been have written by an english or american for their ignorance about completely ignoring (or not even knowing) Luxembourg which is located in THE HEART OF EUROPE!!!

    Comment by Georges — February 20, 2008 @ 6:31 am

  54. Being Germany myself (thought living abroad) I have to disagree just a little bit. I respect a lot of the dutch for their sort of economic habit of saving, however there are others I feel that are just as stupid as the drunken- stuck-up ass hole brits. (which pretty much sums up my opinion of the brits).

    I respect the Czechs and the Poles for being hard workers.

    The Danish are pretty insignificant so I haven’t heard of the deep resentment that you mentioned.

    If anything most of the racism that I hear is against the Turks who are often remarked as “Overrunning the Country with Cheap Labor” even though from a more economic stand point the Romanians work for much less.

    Comment by Niklas K — February 20, 2008 @ 6:39 am

  55. [...] likes the French. Here’s a look at what Europeans think of each [...]

    Pingback by AMERICAN NONSENSE » The Wall Street Humor Daily Links — February 20, 2008 @ 6:39 am

  56. Here in England we refuse to be part of ‘Europe’. We have no need for them as we already rule (own) most of the world!

    The US, India, Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand are still part of our empire and we don’t want to hear anything more about it.

    Comment by Jon — February 20, 2008 @ 7:01 am

  57. about the Danes:
    we generally dislike the germans because of the war, but are keen on working with them because they are good, precise workmen.
    Poland is disliked because of the great number of cheap workers they have uphere. The whole “they steal our jobs for lesser pay” deal.
    the swedes and norse are our siblings, so we both love and fight with them with a passion. :)
    We always try to present us as a good rolemodel for the environmental issues and other related topics. Mainly because we want to be noticed in the international society; We are a small country after all.

    Comment by imonsei — February 20, 2008 @ 7:30 am

  58. About Germans:
    “they look down on their Eastern neighbors, particularly Poles. They, oddly, have some mixed respect for the Czechs, who have resisted German aggression.”

    I strongly suggest you read up on history before you put up stuff like this.
    Czechoslovakia (at the time) capitulated after a few weeks without much fight (there was resistance of course, as in most places) while Poland was fighting back for a month, while Soviets were attacking from the other side.

    Comment by matt — February 20, 2008 @ 7:30 am

  59. a lot of speculation and ‘i heard this from one guy so the whole country must think this’ knowledge.
    on some accounts right, but a lot of falsehoods in this article.

    Comment by Daniel — February 20, 2008 @ 7:36 am

  60. Emily M. I really hope you were kidding about your profession :)

    Comment by Srussian — February 20, 2008 @ 8:22 am

  61. Ey, you should have noted (i.e., I’m Dutch) that *everyone* hates the French because every peasant there considers himself to be the Sun King compared to foreigners. France, as is widely known, is a fantastic country if only those ghastly French wouldn’t live there.
    And you missed the Great Garlic Divide. Any country that has garlic as staple diet (roughly speaking, all ‘southern’, ‘Catholic’ countries which includes half of Belgium (Wallon, culturally integral part of France)) is considered self-centered, unclean and smelly (guess why) and disorganised by the Northeners who consider themselves model citizens in modern societies. Personally, I’m unsure whether that latter is acknowledged from the South… ;-]
    As said, Belgium isn’t one country. It’s Wallon in the South, very French, and Vlaanderen in the North, considered substitute Netherlands.
    Oh and that part on Dutch misers: When a Dutchman and a Belgian are in a restaurant, the Belgian will sneak off leaving the bill for the Dutchman, who on average tips much more generous than the Belgian… You should have known, I tell you!

    Comment by Joerie — February 20, 2008 @ 8:22 am

  62. Having lived in several European countries, I agree to most of what you wrote, but the stereotypes you portray all are a bit dated. It feels like something that would have been dead-on around 1990ish, but since then a lot has happened.

    Comment by Bjoern Olson — February 20, 2008 @ 8:35 am

  63. “Spaniards consider themselves white and European, and would be deeply insulted if you suggested they were Latin American of any kind.”

    Are you surprised! They are European, and you’d have to be very ignorant to think otherwise.

    Comment by James — February 20, 2008 @ 8:46 am

  64. OK, piece of junk. But what should one expect from not EU citizen.
    Anyway if you want to learn sth:
    - Poles are loving jokes about Germans and Russians (everyone knows that – since I was child we were talkin’ those)
    - Czechs DID not resist nazis! Where have you been when history was taught?
    Truth is – that car stealing WAS a problem – and it WAS true.

    Comment by Maciej — February 20, 2008 @ 8:58 am

  65. Nice ;-)
    One addition: the north west part of france really *loathes* germans (because of the war I guess). I you are on holiday there and speak a ‘german sounding’ (to the french) language like dutch/danish/norwegian/swedish you need to open every conversation with stating you are not german, or you will we treated quit unfriendly. Luckily this phenomenon mostly applies to the older generations, who cannot hear the difference between german/dutch, so if you are on holiday there as a german it is easy to just tell them you’re dutch ;-)

    Comment by mm — February 20, 2008 @ 9:01 am

  66. As someone living in the UK, i wanted to point out some facts. The English are very arrogant, the only people I have met more arrogant that the dutch or french. They sort of have a right to be, as they haven’t been conquered in 800 years, and had a huge empire that contained 1/4 of the world population. It is correct, 1/2 hate the europeans, 1/2 hate the americans.

    The Scots hate the british with a passion, mainly because they are all bitter and miserable. It doesn’t help that they get even worse weather than England, and are not very good at any sports. The scots love the French and vice versa, but it is more a common hatred of the English. Surprisingly, this hasn’t united Ireland and Scotland as much.

    Nobody hates the Irish, partly because they are very relaxed people, partly because they are a small country.

    The brits see Southern Europe, spanish, italians and greeks and lazy and inept. This doesn’t just come from the world wars, but from dealing with them on a continued basis. If you know that you are going to be dealing with people from there, you need to take that into consideration, and add extra time to your project. They see the Eastern Europeans as criminals, and slightly lower down than them, but this is an attitude throughout Western Europe. They know that they are hard workers though, so won’t mind hiring, but would like to keep an extra eye on them.

    The Brits themselves are quite lazy, will try to do anything to get out of work, offer really bad customer service, are polite and quite smart.

    Comment by cak — February 20, 2008 @ 9:04 am

  67. The Portuguese have an inferiority complex towards their Western European neighbours. They even feel inferior to their former colony, Brazil! They don’t much like the Spanish due to a history of attempted invasions. The Portuguese, in turn, are looked down on by the Spanish but you need to go to France to really get a reaction. The Portuguese emigrated there in mass numbers to staff building sites, become farm labourers and concierges and therefore tend to be the butt of jokes. The Brits have long used Portugal as a cheap holiday destination and are locally known as “Come-on” because they constantly say this when dealing with lazy Portuguese labourers. Many companies refuse to do business in Portugal as they never pay their bills and the court system doesn’t work.
    Having said all that, the status of Portugal is now on the rise as Eastern nations find lower rungs on the European ladder.

    Comment by Dom — February 20, 2008 @ 9:07 am

  68. Missed Spanish consider Portuguese a bunch of losers. Also, there is a great divide between Northen and Southern Spain: Catalonians consider Andalusians lazy (and, oh yeah, Madrillians upstarts) and everybody else considers Catalonians mean and too nationalistic for their own good.

    Comment by Paul C. Brown — February 20, 2008 @ 9:10 am

  69. I think you got the part on the Spanish wrong. They tend to stay in their country, do not speak any other languages and whenever they leave Spain they keep talking about Spanish food and how bad it is everywhere else. They tend to ignore the Portuguese even though they are their only neighbours except for France. To go to Portugal on holiday for the Spanish is like going to Poland for a German.

    Comment by Alex — February 20, 2008 @ 9:13 am

  70. While this is vaguely accurate for Belgium, it does not properly break the Belgians into two groups – the Flemish (who speak Flemish/Dutch) and the Wallonians (who speak French). This does not change what either the Dutch or French speak, only the return … Although, most of Europe sees the Belgians as bureaucratic.

    Flemish think the Dutch are unthinking assholes and think the French are stuck up socialists.
    Wallonians think the Dutch are socially and culturally inept while the French are too pompous (for example: about pronunciation).

    Also, I’ve met quite a few Irish who dislike the English (though they tend not to have problems with the Welsh or Scotts). And the English love to rail on the Scotts or Welsh while the Welsh love to rail on the English and Scotts and the Scotts love to rail (drunkenly) on everyone (in incomprehensible drunkenese).

    At least, in my experience….

    Comment by XPat in Belgium — February 20, 2008 @ 9:15 am

  71. @isabella snow: Nice how you allege an example for 2 points mentioned in the article, a) the retarded compulsion of the Brits to tell jokes about Germans+WW2 and b) to look down on other Europeans.

    Comment by Christopher — February 20, 2008 @ 9:36 am

  72. Nicely done. I would have comments but no quibbles — the essay is the kind of converstation that happens in Europe among those who have long lived in Europe.

    Comment by Tom — February 20, 2008 @ 9:39 am

  73. I’m English so can only really speak from that perspective.

    Dislike of the French is so core to the English phyche and has been for over a 1000 years that put simply you can’t be English unless you dislike the French.

    We’ve faught two world wars against the Germans, but we STILL like the Germans more than the French.

    On the subject of Europe.

    The thing you have to remember is that we have more in common with America than we do with the European mainland. In America they speak English, in Europe they speak a vast number of pointless languages (including French) so our culture pulls us one way and our geography another. Europe in the form of the European Union coalesced because they needed each other, they were neighbours, we on the other hand had a choice and because of that have never felt we needed to be “European”. So indeed alot of Europeans see us as Lapdogs of the US and likely as not it’s not far from the truth, the problem is we see the alternatives as worse, Europe talks and does nothing, it’s largely ineffective at anything outside it’s borders and usually it has the French trying to do everything the wrong way and while we would like a unified european foreign policy the French would like to impose a thousand petty rules which stifle us (over generalisation I’ll grant).

    So basically if you got rid of the French everything would be fine.

    However I must point out, please hurry up and elect Obama, for the love of god we’re getting tired of being the lapdogs of country run by an idiot.

    Comment by Rob — February 20, 2008 @ 9:40 am

  74. Coupla things:
    - the Spanish and no real dislikes by or from or between?! What about the Basques?! (And to a lesser extent, the other regions with strong identities that really don’t like Castilians.)
    - the Dutch are not perceived as quite the biggest misers in Europe, instead it’s the Scots. But the Dutch are some of the most travelsome people in Europe, whereas most Scots are — heh — too cheap too cross the channel, so it’s mostly the English who know about the Scots’ extreme thriftiness. The Flemish do have many, many jokes about miserly Dutch (to counter the Dutch jokes about spendthrift, stupid, feckless Flemish).
    - Austria is not merely “said to be” the birthplace of Hitler, it was.
    - Europeans “mercilessly teasing” Germans about WW2? Not bloody likely. Teasing implies lighthearted fun, and WW2 and Nazism are still grave, sore points across much of Europe. And they will probably remain deeply sore points until the last survivors — which includes children born during WW2 and any who associate the post-WW2 rationing systems they experienced with things they heard their parents say about Germany — have died. “Never let the Germans forget for a minute,” yes. “Tease,” no.

    Comment by tourne — February 20, 2008 @ 9:45 am

  75. That EU joke notwithstanding, my experiences with German police over the past 14 years have been far and away better than those with cops in almost any other country. You can actually walk up to them, ask them a question and they’ll answer you. Rather than harassing some guy across the street from my flat this morning and towing his car because it was at a bus stop, the cops actually tried to help him get his engine running.

    Cops here are generally helpful and respectful, and much of their training focuses on situation de-escalation. Even the border cops are generally a good lot. French and Italian cops, they’re right up there with the Eastern Europeans and the US.

    The only other inconsistency I found was that in Scandinavia, “stupid” is normally applied to Norway, not Sweden. This is probably because within ten minutes any conversation in Norwegian turns to the Vikings and how they might’ve been a bit less developed than other invaders but they were still “pretty all right” as far as invaders go,

    Comment by ReallyEvilCanine — February 20, 2008 @ 9:56 am

  76. It’s a good list.

    As a Brit though I can tell you that you got it wrong about the Spaniards! They have a reputation for being lazy procrastinators.

    See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma%C3%B1ana_attitude

    Comment by Hudders — February 20, 2008 @ 10:03 am

  77. I’m English and have lived abroad (in Europe) Since ’99. In that time, I’ve lived in Germany (1.5yrs), Belgium (1yr), France (3 yrs) and now Holland (nearly 3yrs) I’ve learnt and spoken to a relatively high level German and French. I’ve had girlfriends in all of these countries but not necessarily of the nationality of where I was living (Swedish, Hungarian, German, Belgian, English, Spanish … ). And, I always try and settle into the local way of life as-much-as-possible.

    What I’ve learnt through all my experiences are that, the English have more in common with the Germans than we don’t have in common. They do have a sense of humour but it is about 30 years behind us. They love Monty Python, for example.

    In Belgium (Antwerp), they just like to have a good time and I think Belgium just gets bad PR.

    France …….. Planet France, I call it. I’m an Anglo and found it very difficult to settle. As an intelligent, white person coming from a rich country, I was still looked down upon to a certain degree. I can only begin to imagine how difficult it must be for North Africans to make a go of it. But, the French people are warm, just difficult to get close to. And the women are gorgeous to look at but difficult to get close to.

    And the Dutch make me laugh for their honesty and tell-it-as-it-is approach. That’s the way I like to do business. But the food is atrocious.

    During these last 8-9 years, I’ve also spent 3 months in Australia and NZ. Lovely countries but I couldn’t wait to get back to Europe to be surrounded by the languages and cultures. We are very lucky over here and we should cherish what we have.

    As for England, I don’t miss it much.I like English/British people but we’ve lost our way. We look west too much towards America instead of looking South and East to our lovely European neighbours.

    As for English food …… traditional English cooking (done the right way) has to be the best I’ve tasted.

    Best spot in the world for me ….. standing in the middle of Waterloo Bridge a few hours after the sun has gone down with a clear night sky.

    Just my thoughts, but I think I’m quite in a position to say my piece.

    Comment by Anthony — February 20, 2008 @ 10:05 am

  78. You forgot Slovaks, you insensitive clod! ;-)

    Comment by Peter — February 20, 2008 @ 10:19 am

  79. actually the police in hell is American and not German, trust me!

    Comment by Tom — February 20, 2008 @ 10:19 am

  80. Emily M. I worried that either you’re a teacher who teaches English, or a teacher from England. Either way, grammatically the sentence “I am going to look more into live abroad”, to steal a phrase from the Americans, sucks.

    As someone from England, I slightly disagree. There is a genuine warmth from the English towards a lot of Europe. The Scandinavians, Dutch and Irish in particular are well liked. The French and Germans are also liked, but more in the way that a Jets fan might like a Patriots fan over in the US. What seems to irk some Brits about Europe comes from the vitriol in newspapers that portrays Europe as shorthand for the European Parliament.

    We Brits seem to have more issues with other Brits. Yorkshire folk hating Lancastrians, Cornish looking down on Devonians, Nottinghamshire people thinking people from Derby are a little too affectionate to their livestock to be healthy. That kind of thing. Oh, and most people thinking that the Brummie accent makes them sound comedic.

    Comment by davidnottingham — February 20, 2008 @ 10:32 am

  81. How do we know that Jesus was a Greek?

    Well he took after his father’s proffesion.
    He lived with his parents until he was 33.
    He thought his mother was a virgin.
    His mother thought that he was a God.

    I really enjoyed your post, which to my experience it’s pretty much on spot.

    Comment by filippos — February 20, 2008 @ 10:32 am

  82. In Heaven… the chefs are French
    omfg… we are the worst chefs ever. Frenchs speak 8 hours before taking a stupid decision.

    Comment by Froggy — February 20, 2008 @ 10:33 am

  83. Reading what I’ve just written, maybe I shouldn’t be throwing stones whilst in this greenhouse.

    That should’ve read “….affectionate towards their livestock….£

    Comment by davidnottingham — February 20, 2008 @ 10:35 am

  84. Being a dane, i’d have to say the comments about danes and scandinavians are largely inacurate.
    There’s no general hate towards the german people, nor is there, to my knowledge, any generally accepted feeling that norwegians are racist and that the swedes are stupid and uptight.
    If there is any general tendency in Denmark, it is that swedes, when in Denmark, tend to get rather intoxicated.

    Comment by jok — February 20, 2008 @ 10:41 am

  85. you were wondering why some spaniards dislike the french.
    well, that is easy: north spain and south france would like to be a country of basques. well, some of them.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETA

    Comment by chris — February 20, 2008 @ 11:01 am

  86. I shall add that Italians don’t really like the french “cousins”, and a big teaser is that they won only one World Cup while Italians have 4…

    Comment by renso — February 20, 2008 @ 11:11 am

  87. Interesting take on us Poles and very outdated.

    Nowadays we really don’t mind the Germans and the Germans really don’t mind us. They come here and buy things cheaper, have a cheaper haircut, cheaper medical service, they hang out in our pubs, because smoking is still allowed here.

    And us Poles come to Germany to buy their used cars for cheap. This mutual exchange of goods and services, combined with the Schengen Agreement (no border checks) results in the fact that we’re not actually afraid of each other anymore. Yes they might fear us when the job market opens in Germany for us, but it’s open now in the UK and guess what, everyone wins there.

    And the Germans are a lot more politically correct when it comes to jokes, but can’t blame them, what with all the history.

    We on the other hand also don’t actually tell nationalistic jokes about any nation… why would we? We don’t hold a grudge I don’t think. We don’t like Czechs or Slovaks? What? That’s news to me. I go down south each year. We all love beer.

    Indeed Russia hates us, because we’re pro-European.

    But, we’ve actually contributed and helped with the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, so they have no reason for hatred, we’re actually partners. And even more reason for Russia’s hatred towards us.

    What infuriated me is the most uninformed comment about us being the nation of car thieces. That’s like beating the dead horse. Where are you taking this data from? Early 90′s?

    Besides, no-one talks about the reason the Germans callED us car thieves. They came here specifically to have their cars stolen (it was arranged) and then gather money from insurance companies.

    Comment by Tomasz D — February 20, 2008 @ 11:15 am

  88. >you never, ever hear jokes about Germans in Poland.

    Howgwash. They were probably just too polite to tell them around you. Polish people tell jokes about Germans constantly. They’re far better than German jokes about Poles, too.

    >Really, the relationship between Germany and Poland is similar to that of the United States and Mexico

    Wrong. It is the way it is because the various incarnations of Germany have incessantly invaded and tried to trick Poland with their Vatican gimmickry. Open up a history book.

    >Poles really shore up their hatred for their eastern & southern neighbors, primarily Russia and Ukraine, although they don’t like Czechs, Slovaks or Lithuanians either.

    Simply not true.

    - Polish people do not hate the Russians or Ukrainians. We hate the Reds, not the Russians. We like the Ukrainians, although they don’t generally like us back because of our turbulent history (mainly because they weren’t given equal rights to Lithuania and Poland in the Commonwealth).

    - Polish people make fun of Czechs and they make fun of us. We have a bit of a tough love relationship with them.

    - Poles are largely indifferent to Slovaks.

    - Most Poles are either indifferent or positively inclined towards Lithuania because we share a fruitful common history.

    Comment by john deere — February 20, 2008 @ 11:23 am

  89. ITT: americans telling other americans what europeans think of other europeans

    and surprise surprise, they’re messing it up completely …

    Comment by anona — February 20, 2008 @ 11:32 am

  90. I think you missed the boat a bit when it comes to Scandinavia. With the increased Polish emigration to Scandinavia, stereotypes have begun to take hold about the Poles in the region. Poles are viewed negatively, but in an empathetic manner since they are commonly poor.

    Norwegians and Danes don’t think of Swedes as uptight, but rather lazy instead. I think out of Norwegians, Danes, and Swedes, it’s the Norwegians that are seen as uptight and the most introverted, only second to the Finnish.

    The Norwegians, Danes, and Swedes all share the same common root language, yet the Swedes and Norwegians always joke about Danish being incomprehensible gibberish.

    Comment by G — February 20, 2008 @ 11:50 am

  91. Why are French roads lined with trees?
    So the German army can march in the shade.

    Comment by mm — February 20, 2008 @ 11:54 am

  92. A wonderful insight to our European countries.

    Another German Air Traffic Control story: British Airways flight asks for directions to taxi to the terminal at Frankfurt. Busy Ground Controller snaps back “Haven’t you been here before?”

    “Just the once, but it was a while ago, it was dark, and I didn’t land.” (About 1943, flying a Lancaster!)

    Comment by AndyC — February 20, 2008 @ 11:57 am

  93. As a Finn, I concur about what was said of Finns. I usually hate all articles about stereotypes but with this I have no problem.

    Comment by Pasi — February 20, 2008 @ 11:58 am

  94. You did not tell anything about eastern europeans. What about hungarians, romanians, etc.

    Comment by Adrian — February 20, 2008 @ 11:59 am

  95. [...] Un articol interesant despre diferentele dintre europeni. Si o chestie faina la sfarsitul articloului [...]

    Pingback by eBlog » Blog Archive » Europenii despre europeni — February 20, 2008 @ 12:03 pm

  96. Czechs resisted Germany? Thats a new one. Spaniards doesnt hate anyone? Good one – heard about Basks? No jokes about Germans in Poland? Lol. Greeks consider themselves as European – please go to Crete. Well, maybe 4 years here is still not enough for you. Please, come here again anyway, you’re gladly welcome.

    Comment by QS — February 20, 2008 @ 12:03 pm

  97. Fun, but not very acurate in my eyes. Basicly most of western europe have no problems with people based on theyre nationalities. But there are ofcourse stereotypes.

    Comment by je — February 20, 2008 @ 12:05 pm

  98. well I wouldn’t say this is what the peoples deeply think of each others … this is more like the clichés we have. But it fits perfectly well with the joke at the end !

    Comment by thomas — February 20, 2008 @ 12:06 pm

  99. I have to agree with you about the irish. I’m British (Cornish) and I’ve never met anyone with a bad word to say about the Irish (apart from say 10 years ago).

    It really does make me sad to think about all the ball bags that go to Ibiza and Amsterdam etc and make tits of themselves and our country. These are the people who hate Europeans and dine predominently on chips (french fries kinda) and name their children after drinks.

    Oh and Poland you nailed that one. Everybody in Western Europe hates Poles. I was walking past a library the other day and noticed someone writing anti Polish slogans on the wall outside…..spelt incorrectly. Damn I hate Britain sometimes.

    Comment by Som4 — February 20, 2008 @ 12:07 pm

  100. You could almost write the Eurovision Song results from that analysis.

    Comment by Reis Scofield — February 20, 2008 @ 12:33 pm

  101. I’ve lived in Europe for a while, mainly in Spain and I can say for a matter of fact that mostly like Spaniards since they’re suppose to be the most open and happy European people but on the other hand they dislike Latin Americans and they don’t think very much about them also because of all the history there is between these two cultures.

    Comment by sal — February 20, 2008 @ 12:56 pm

  102. The German air controllers at Frankfurt Airport are renowned as a short-tempered lot. They not only expect one to know one’s gate parking
    location, but how to get there without any assistance from them. So it was with some amusement that we (a Pan Am 747) listened to the following
    exchange between Frankfurt ground control and a British Airways 747, call sign Speedbird 206″:

    Speedbird 206: “Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of active runway.”

    Ground: “Speedbird 206. Taxi to gate Alpha One-Seven.”

    The BA 747 pulled onto the main taxiway and slowed to a stop.

    Ground: “Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?”

    Speedbird 206: “Stand by, Ground, I’m looking up our gate location now.”

    Ground (with quite arrogant impatience): “Speedbird 206, have you not been to Frankfurt before?”

    Speedbird 206 (coolly): “Yes, twice in 1944 — but I didn’t land.”

    Comment by Tapiwa — February 20, 2008 @ 1:26 pm

  103. I’m English, and I like Europe. I’m planning to expatriate to Italy with my girlfriend (who comes from Southern Italy, as she calls “the heel of the boot”) after we finish University (and I’m studying German and Russian, which probably says a lot). But yeah, the majority of English people are pretty anti-Europe, and complain endlessly about the EU. Not because of the Americans though, but because of our crappy media.

    Comment by James — February 20, 2008 @ 1:40 pm

  104. I read only the part about Poles and neighbours, because i come from this country and after reading I felt quite dissapointed. Most claims doesn’t exist even as a stereotypes about Poles. Ex. you say that there are no jokes about Germans. When i was young many jokes started with sth like: “There was Pole, German, Russian and devil”. I think you guess what was the ending of the jokes. The claim about southern neighbour is also false. We would joke about their languages, which are funny for us (just like in opposite direction). But we don’t feel any kind of hatred.
    However it is true that Poland is considered as a country of car thieves by Germans. But nowadays it’s rather strereotype than real truth.
    And last thing: the sentence “they, [Germans] have some mixed respect for the Czechs, who have resisted German aggression” is not historically correct.

    Comment by KM — February 20, 2008 @ 1:41 pm

  105. you are all a bunch of idiots

    Comment by MasterChief — February 20, 2008 @ 1:45 pm

  106. Very good article and also very true.
    I would like to say couple of things about Italians, though. Northern Italians, especially those from Milan, tend to behave like a mixture between the Brits, Swiss and the French. Blunt to the point of rudeness, rigid and uptight with no sense of humour, nacionalistic, arrogant, considering anything Italian – the best, and looking down on anybody from less developed countries. One characteristics that makes them similiar to the French is lack of knowledge of foreign languages, primary English. However, this is more likely due to the poor schooling system in Italy whereas the French are simply proud and consider their own language more important than any other.

    Comment by Expat in Italy — February 20, 2008 @ 1:46 pm

  107. I’d just like to say that this post is a useless pile of crap and I wish i hadn’t bothered skim reading it. The British are rude and obnoxious drunks. I totally agree. The British do no dislike being considered European since it is a matter of fact! I know that a scary percentage of the American population actually believes Europe to be a country. I expect you are in fact American and that why you think brits think like that. I’m Scottish and I’m euro peon because I live in Europe. I don’t personally hate any nation. I really dislike Dubai since they lock up young people from all over the world for having tiny dust particles of drugs on them. Dot ever go to their airport. Jet-lag pills can get you 4 years. As for Americans I worry about the percentage that take religion to seriously and the ones that are as thick as 2 planks. There are just too many of both. I love the Germans and I don’t mind the French. At least all these European countries have their own language unlike some of the younger nations in the world. ;0)

    Comment by Adam Kerr — February 20, 2008 @ 1:50 pm

  108. European stereotypes about other Europeans…

    By way of John Scalzi, a primer for Americans on how Europeans think about other Europeans: The Scandinavians ? Widely respected by most other Europeans, because of their high standard of living . . . and blond hair and blue……

    Trackback by Quotulatiousness — February 20, 2008 @ 2:21 pm

  109. Stereotypes in former Yugoslavia.

    Slovenians- The rest of former Yugoslavia considers them a nation of very feminine homosexuals. Most Slovenian’s think they are Italian and try their very hardest to act so. Slovenian’s look down on the rest of former Yugoslavia due to their economic superiority and because they’re very westernized, much more so than the rest of former Yugoslavia.

    croats- They are looked at as a nation of traitors and whores, who suck up to whoever seems strongest at the time, and whoever will give them the most personal gain. This is historically true as throughout history they have constantly jumped ship. Prior to WWI they were mates with the Austro-Hungarian empire. When they were defeated, they wanted in on Yugoslavia. In WWII they sided with the nazis, but after WWII wanted back in Yugoslavia to escape war crime convictions, and effectively masked their involvement in a mass genocide. croats consider themselves forward thinking and westernized, more advanced than the rest of Yugoslavia, while they may be more accepted by the West than Serbia and Bosnia, they are still very far behind Slovenia. Incredibly delusional.

    Bosnians- Everyone thinks they’re stupid, they think everyone’s stuck up.

    Serbs- Arrogant, uncompromising, strong willed, nationalistic. Serbs ran things in former Yugoslavia, so are greatly resented by all the other ex-Yu countries, especially the croatians who played second fiddle to the Serbs. Serbs have a siege mentality because throughout history they were always fighting with powers much stronger than themselves (Always resisted the ottoman empire, preventing their spread into Austria-Hungary, eventually helped force them back to turkey. The fiasco that sparked WWI. Fierce resistance against the German’s in WWII. Resisting the Western powers in the 90s’). The Serbs are very proud of themselves, and look down on the rest of former Yugoslavia because they were always the strongest of those nations, causing much resentment from the rest of ex-Yu. Serbs stand by their traditions, refuse to sell-out like the croats, this is often detrimental to themselves because Serbia is still very much Eastern European compared to croatia and slovenia. If Serbia was an English football club, they would be Millwall FC… ‘No one likes us, and we don’t care’.

    Comment by Serbo — February 20, 2008 @ 2:34 pm

  110. @isabella snow: Why is an enlish pilot sitting in a German airport tower? Please explain!

    Comment by schubi — February 20, 2008 @ 2:38 pm

  111. The English are loud-mouthed, obnoxious drunks while in tourist places? As an American that keeps a low-profile while in the UK (or at least tries to do so), that amuses me greatly.

    I’m about to move to Scotland to get married and live, and I really hope they can ignore the fact that I’m from the US given enough time. Probably not though. ;)

    Comment by Avi — February 20, 2008 @ 2:56 pm

  112. And the Portuguese? We are not Spaniards you know…

    Based on your post the way Europeans feel about Portuguese is just ignoring us. OK by me…

    Comment by cris — February 20, 2008 @ 2:57 pm

  113. Nice work!

    Its nice to read and most of this is true (in some way). I really love to live in europe because of this differences .. u have a lot to argue about :)

    Greetz Manuel (Europe, Germany, Berlin)

    Comment by Manuel — February 20, 2008 @ 3:02 pm

  114. But what do the Europeans think of Americans?

    Comment by Wok — February 20, 2008 @ 3:03 pm

  115. “Spaniards consider themselves white and European”???? Spaniards ARE WHITE and EUROPEAN you f…..g redneck .
    It is amazing how only in American protestant-derivative-of-British-arrogance collective mind a Spanish speaking person could be considered or implied to be non-white simply for – speaking Spanish. Contrary to what you might think, “Latin”, this American colloquialism (as usually deprived of every effort to study things into some detail), is not a racial attribute!!

    Yes, descendants of various Indian tribes in Americas who today speak Spanish (due to Spanish colonization) are obviously not white, but that doesn’t mean that all Spanish speaking people are not white.

    This stratification of the US society to white people and all the rest (which included white people who were not protestant and did not speak English) is simply a manifestation of some deeper pathologies stemming from arrogantly exclusive mindset of the society dating back to the time of Puritans. An average (white?) American is obviously hard-wired into such misconceptions.

    Do try to use whatever you may have between your ears from time to time. One’s racial attributes are not determined by the language one speaks …. or country of origin for that matter!

    Comment by T-B — February 20, 2008 @ 3:05 pm

  116. Yes, here in the UK we are the lapdog of the US and in England we seem to hate even those neighbors within our own borders (the Scotts, the Welsh).

    Tragic really.

    Comment by devolute — February 20, 2008 @ 3:08 pm

  117. You’re missing The Portuguese

    Comment by Conrad — February 20, 2008 @ 3:08 pm

  118. Irish generally dislike Romanians, BUY A ROSE, BUUY A HAAT!

    Comment by Roha — February 20, 2008 @ 3:19 pm

  119. In reference to the Scottish…they are tolerated because no-one knows much about them??

    WEll maybe the author doesnt but whenever I travel abroad and I say I am Scottish…the smiles come out, the drinks are bought and everyone says “thank god you’re not English”

    Have you seen the “Last King of Scotland” about Idi Amin who wanted to be Scottish?

    Comment by rozy — February 20, 2008 @ 3:48 pm

  120. “Spaniards consider themselves white and European, and would be deeply insulted if you suggested they were Latin American of any kind.”

    Um… they ARE white and European… as perfectly white and as perfectly European as anyone can possibly be… so…. um… how dumb would you have to be to think they were Latin American?

    Comment by Jordan Malone — February 20, 2008 @ 4:05 pm

  121. That collection of stereotypes does not qualify as information…

    Comment by Ikshaar — February 20, 2008 @ 4:27 pm

  122. JM this is excellent. I printed this out and hung it up over our bar. You’ll have to take my Word for it, it’s a place of honor. Many inspired conversations have been sparked.
    Best,
    Veronica

    Comment by Veronica — February 20, 2008 @ 4:48 pm

  123. Europe is full of English expats, and the longer they live abroad, the more they seem to hate their host country. And yet they never seem to want to move home.

    Amen!

    Comment by Fat Andy — February 20, 2008 @ 4:57 pm

  124. Having spent much of my life in heavily international schools, a lot of this rings very it’s-funny-cos-it’s-true. Piping up from the Irish perspective, for the elucidation of the internet at large: the only people the Irish hate are the people who insist on believing they’re Irish.

    (Also, I suspect your estimated population of Ireland might date from the 1996 census, or thereabouts; IIRC, we’re hovering around the 4 million mark now, give or take a few hundred thousand.)

    Comment by Sophie — February 20, 2008 @ 6:02 pm

  125. What about the Russians?or the Serbs?or the Bulgarians?
    How about the Hungarians?OR they aren’t even “nominally”
    Europeans?

    Comment by DrKoxx — February 20, 2008 @ 6:05 pm

  126. Nice writeup – waiting for your report on the rest of the world :-)

    Comment by Binny V A — February 20, 2008 @ 6:09 pm

  127. You say you have not met an Irish person who really loathes the English. Clearly, we have not met. Nor do you know many of my Irish friends.

    Comment by mapoftehran — February 20, 2008 @ 6:19 pm

  128. [...] What Europeans think of each other idioot eigenlijk en nogal stereotiep (tags: europe culture) [...]

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  129. [...] Avots+vair?k: http://dailycandor.com/what-europeans-think-of-each-other/ [...]

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  130. Not sure where you got the notion that there are absolutely no jokes about Germans in Poland… there are thousands of jokes that start with “Polak, Rusek i Niemiec”, meaning “A Pole, a Russian and a German”… with the German inevitably getting the shortest end of the stick…

    Comment by Marcin — February 20, 2008 @ 6:24 pm

  131. That was pretty enjoyable and seems fairly accurate, but there’s one perception that’s off I think. Far as I know, from German friends (and for the obvious reason), Poles loathe Germans and many young Germans in a Polish bar or club have frequently found himself at risk of a beating. But this was in the early and mid-90s not too long after the wall came down, maybe that has changed somewhat at this point.

    Best description of how Germans feel about Austrians is that they are perceived in the manner Americans view Canadians: as their less bright, less sophisticated and more happy-go- lucky dorky beer swilling cousins. (Obviously that stereotype is ridiculous. Except for the beer swilling part.)

    Comment by Peter — February 20, 2008 @ 6:34 pm

  132. Very nice article. You manage to keep it realistic and yet entertaining without casting the countries too much as stereotypes. Your observations suit my own very well, and I especially like your note about British people living abroad… soooo true. And I know, because I’m sharing a flat with one in Spain.

    Comment by Jonas — February 20, 2008 @ 7:05 pm

  133. From an American: Although I have a great respect for the German people, I found them very rude; also, very rude to the disabled. They are not only rude to Americans, they are rude to each other. I found southern Germany and Austria a very nice place with very nice people. If I were to ever live in Europe, it would either be Ireland, or Austria.

    Comment by Cealticson — February 20, 2008 @ 7:19 pm

  134. About the CZECHS you have maybe to live there for a while before souch a thinking (that they are bright spot of EastEurope probably because of Prague). The nicest thing about them (together with moravians) for me is that they are probably the most peaceful nation in area (also historicaly), maybe in EU.

    “Poles don’t have much good to say about them (czechs)”

    who are the polish, fleding their country in milions (and it`s not because they are the biggest country as they like to say. It`s apparetnly multiple number per capita than other nations in the eastern europe.
    They are not able to make conditions and atmosphere in Their Own country worth living there. Yet they feel no shame, having so often (in EU politics) the biggest mouth.

    Comment by Peter (SK/CZ) — February 20, 2008 @ 7:27 pm

  135. [...] know about Europe ? Here is a funny summary of Europeans and what they think of each other. Not to be taken too [...]

    Pingback by Wanna know about Europe ? « Blogs will be Blogs… — February 20, 2008 @ 8:09 pm

  136. - Naturally, this is a huge irritant to Greeks – It is ironic when you consider that even the word Europe originates from Greek history.

    Comment by Vassilis — February 20, 2008 @ 8:24 pm

  137. any true scot would have a heart attack by being included here as British. They hate the english. And it is a different country (like Ireland).

    Comment by LM — February 20, 2008 @ 8:30 pm

  138. One nice thing we noticed as we traveled throughout Europe last year for several months was that we experienced virtually no lack of warmth for americans. Now, if you were to express support for the Bush administration….well, good luck to you.

    Comment by JOHNB — February 20, 2008 @ 8:41 pm

  139. This is such an inadequate perception of Europeans, probably because its only from personal experience. The resentments between each country takes no actual seriousness in reality. look at the Union, though i know that all of these “attitude” stereotypes are real there is much more decency and respect within the European community. Complaints are complaints.

    Comment by Rob — February 20, 2008 @ 8:56 pm

  140. long time since i read such bullshit! It took over 100 years and a civil war before the U could be placed before SA. In Europe we’ll do it in 25-30 years in peace ;-) ) BTW: I’m Dutch and love the Flamish but .. to be honest dislike the Walons a bit. It’s all culture and respect man

    Comment by Mark — February 20, 2008 @ 9:04 pm

  141. real recording from the early 1950′s
    english pilot flying into dreden has trouble with the landing .
    German tower: finnaly says in think german accent:
    what! Have you never flown to Dresden before?
    English Pilot:
    Yes…
    But we didn’t land…
    breif silence before
    tower carries on with landing instruction

    Comment by j. maison — February 20, 2008 @ 9:10 pm

  142. It deserves more than three diggs

    Comment by Dad — February 20, 2008 @ 9:51 pm

  143. Been globetrottin for at least 25 years.
    Agree with every word. Respect !!!
    (what’s amazing – an article doesn’t sound insulting to anyone. Double respect !)

    Comment by kesha — February 20, 2008 @ 10:35 pm

  144. It is amazing how you can write such a lengthy and supposedly authoritative post on what Europeans think of each other and then destroy all your hard work by lumping the Finns together with the Scandinavians, thereby showing your non-authoritativeness on European topics.

    Comment by ana — February 20, 2008 @ 10:50 pm

  145. Portugese vs. Spanish:

    The Portugese are considered to be poorer than the Spanish, but have more class.

    Comment by Dirk — February 20, 2008 @ 11:56 pm

  146. The only thing I disagreed with was that the French-speaking Swiss are almost exactly like the French. That is only true of those from the Canton of Geneva, who aspire to be French in all that they do. However, the rest of the French-speaking Swiss are much more laid-back, polite and unassuming. In fact, they are made fun of by the French for their slow speech and unhurried ways.

    Comment by CB — February 21, 2008 @ 12:03 am

  147. Just for the record, Finland is not, and have never been, in Scandinavia.

    This is very obvious for us living here, but it is a common mistake from people living far away from us to think that we have anything to do with Finland.

    Comment by Socraton — February 21, 2008 @ 12:14 am

  148. Having seen both German and American police in action, I think the police in hell are much, much more likely to be American. (I know it’s a post about Europe, but, humor me. ) The Germans of today are nothing at all like the stereotypes people want to believe. The police are respectful, even facing great disrespect. I even saw one policeman answer a physical assault with a smile. The situation ended peacefully. When was the last time that happened in the USA?

    Comment by jp — February 21, 2008 @ 12:17 am

  149. The scandinavian bit is wrong.

    The swedes view the other scandinavians are drugs. The Swedish stereotype of a Finn is a drunk with a knife. You don’t get in fights with Finn because everyone knows Finns carry a knife. The Finnish ferries are a great example of the Finn love of booze, once the VAT is off they will consume til near death.

    When I was in Belgium there was a great divide between the Dutch and French. The French were sensitive about their culture thus their TV stations would not subtitle movies, but dub them where as the Dutch channels would subtitle everything.

    Comment by Olli Pekka — February 21, 2008 @ 12:39 am

  150. Poles are vilified by even the Jewish community in Europe. The Germans have apologized and paid for their actions, the Jewish community understand this. But the Poles, they play the victim in World War II and refuse to say apologize for their behaviour under the occupation of Germany. The Poles outted their neighbors as Jews just to take their things. Sure many Poles died but many more Jews died at the hand or of the finger pointing of a Pole. The Poles refuse to apologize and continue to play the victim.

    There is a joke about this in my community: Why did the Pole say he was a victim was a Holocaust? Because he hurt his back loading his neighbors, the Jews, onto the train.

    For more reference:

    http://www.kimel.net/jewpol.html

    Comment by Northern Hebrew — February 21, 2008 @ 12:46 am

  151. [...] Daily Candor » What Europeans think of each other – “This is a basic backgrounder for Americans, primarily, who might think Europeans do nothing all day but bitch about Americans. Don?t get me wrong?they do love bitching about Americans. But they also like bitching about each other, as well.” [...]

    Pingback by Mea Culpa » Bookmarks for February 20th — February 21, 2008 @ 1:42 am

  152. I truly love this sort of insight to places that I’ve never been. Thank you for the post.

    Comment by Mac — February 21, 2008 @ 4:26 am

  153. About Romanians: they hate the Russians deeply and nominally love France the most. But no longer learn French, only English. Historically pro-French in politics and pro-German in every other matter. In the recent years Romanians are migrating by the tens of thousands in Spain and Italy – related peoples and languages. Around: complicated relation with the Hungarians (dislike only when disliked), look down (don’t know why) upon Bulgarians, sympathize (without reason) the Serbians.

    Comment by Ion — February 21, 2008 @ 5:03 am

  154. [...] Daily Candor » What Europeans think of each other [...]

    Pingback by links for 2008-02-21 — February 21, 2008 @ 5:32 am

  155. “Spaniards consider themselves white and European, and would be deeply insulted if you suggested they were Latin American of any kind”
    Hey and I kno why. Because we spaniards are european!You know, Spain being in Europe and that. And some of us are white too! :)

    Comment by El Hematocritico — February 21, 2008 @ 6:54 am

  156. first sorry for my bad english, theres another joke similar to the first one

    its the nice sunny day and the brit plane approaching the berlin airport, after a few unsuccessful approaches control tower cant believe that the brit pilot still cant land

    control tower: you missed third approach, what kind of pilot you are, did you ever fly to the Berlin before

    pilot: yes sir, I was 40 years ago, but it was the night and we didnt land

    :o )

    Best regards from Sarajevo

    Comment by d2 — February 21, 2008 @ 7:08 am

  157. I’m European and didn’t know there were so much countries inside my big country :-) Most of people I meet in europe are humans with blood, happiness, fears, diseases, joy, fun, needs, culture, thought… Most of people I know have to work to earn money and have to speak to communicate. They have to have sex to make babies. Damn it looks like it’s like everywhere else in the world :-) We are all brothers… “We are the world, we are the children”. That’s my dream !

    There are still some old fashioned people living with clichés. By example the WW2 is still present in our minds. Is it for the best (not to do it again) or for the worst (annoying young Germans who are still paying for their grand parent’s mistakes) ? And no Italian and Spaniards aren’t starting their work day at 4pm anymore. And yes Brit’s can cook. And no Pols plumbers won’t rob our jobs :-) It’s as true as all US people aren’t as dumbass as son Bush.

    I’m a french guy (sorry :-p) living in north of the country and I feel very friendly with Brit’s, Belgium and German people. Probably because we have common frontiers and surely because we meet each others in ours everyday’s life (Belgium Night clubs rock !!!). South France people are more inspired by Italians or Spanish for the same reasons. Life is more complicated than clichés.

    Fun post anyway. I didn’t know bout easter countries :-p

    Comment by Pleinpopossum — February 21, 2008 @ 7:50 am

  158. Poles have many jokes about German :) ))

    Comment by Ehman — February 21, 2008 @ 7:59 am

  159. I’ve heard some Irish being a bit negative towards Spanish, thanks to hoards of Spanish students coming to learn English in the past few years. Also with the recent influx of immigrants I think Irish are a bit confused as to how to deal with this – Ireland historically hasn’t seen much of the immigration into the country, but the majority seem to be tolerant and friendly enough or like to appear so.

    Comment by Stas — February 21, 2008 @ 8:32 am

  160. Ireland has about 6 million people, not 3.

    Comment by O' Toole — February 21, 2008 @ 8:54 am

  161. [...] Lustige Beschreibung mit einigen Wahrheiten [...]

    Pingback by What europeans think about each other — February 21, 2008 @ 10:10 am

  162. Hapsburg is written with a b! Habsburg. Another Eglish teacher. From the former Habsburg empire.

    Comment by Lily — February 21, 2008 @ 10:37 am

  163. Your Scandihoovians could use some touching up:

    Danes: Considered by Scandinavians (and their unfortunate immigrant population) to be racists. Have a writing system which, like Chinese, contains no information about the word’s pronunciation.

    Swedes: Disliked by all their neighbors. Furthermore, Finns consider all Swedish men to be homosexual.

    Norwegians: The Beverly Hillbillies of Northern Europe.

    Finns: Alcoholic, knife-wielding sociopaths, both at home and abroad. The word “considered” has no place in that description.

    Comment by Adam — February 21, 2008 @ 11:21 am

  164. The Irish humble? Come on…

    Comment by DavidS — February 21, 2008 @ 11:30 am

  165. [...] Ein äußerst lesenswerter Artikel: What Europeans think of each other [...]

    Pingback by Was denken die Europäer übereinander? » Zustandsforschung — February 21, 2008 @ 12:37 pm

  166. I lived in Prague for a short time, and I noticed that as a people the Czechs tend to be extremely quiet and reserved, though they a strong tendency towards self-deprecation. And they hate hate hate Russians. A lot of Czechs who were around during Soviet occupation speak Russian of course, but they’ll never admit it now.

    (Great post, by the way.)

    Comment by Ian — February 21, 2008 @ 12:56 pm

  167. [...] Mitä me tuumataan toisistamme? [...]

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  168. Having lived in Ireland for 2.5 years i must say that you could add some details to the Irish….. First of all it’s over 4 million Irish not 3. The view on the Britts from the Irish when on holiday there or having britts visiting there country: They’re sluts! Both men and women. the Irish are internationally perceived as red haired lephracorns that love a joke and a party. Perceived as almost overly friendly and wiliing to help as well. In order to find this, you’re best off going out of Dublin. ow and half the northern Irish hate them, the other half wants to join them. It’s the same for the Irish themselves. The rest of europe is often referred to as Mainland Europe and pretty much any Irish I spoke to has been to Amsterdam for the crack as they say (meaning to have some fun)

    regarding the Dutch attitude towards Germans! yeah it’s true we don’t really like them and i do have a friend who directs Germans to the highway home if they ask for directions. It’s mainly the arrogant attitude and unwilliingness to speak another languag and presuming that everybody speaks German. If a German doesn’t politely ask if the Dutch person speaks German, the answer will usually be NEIN regardless if they do or not.

    Cheers!

    cheers!

    Comment by Bas — February 21, 2008 @ 1:42 pm

  169. This should probably be entitled “What Americans think Europeans think of each other.”

    With that little amendment it’s quite good, very entertaining.

    Comment by fp — February 21, 2008 @ 1:57 pm

  170. lol!

    your description seems to be a little antiquated…

    ;)

    greeetz from cologne!

    Comment by daweed — February 21, 2008 @ 2:24 pm

  171. “Spaniards consider themselves white and European, and would be deeply insulted if you suggested they were Latin American of any kind”

    thats because theyre not american you knob end

    Comment by devils ad — February 21, 2008 @ 3:02 pm

  172. There’s some hostility to Germans in Norway too, actually. Not surprising when you consider the occupation during the Second World War. Apparently some German veterans like to take their motor-homes to Norway, to revisit places they served in during the occupation! (No idea if that’s actually true…)

    Comment by Stephen Mackenzie — February 21, 2008 @ 3:14 pm

  173. I spent two summers in Sweden and have Swedish relatives and can say that they LOVE slagging off Finns. They said that amongst the Scandinavian countries Finland is the biggest target due largely to the fact that their language is so different from all of the others, which have a lot more in common than the weird ‘alien Star Trek’ Finnish.

    Conversely I have a friend who is half Finnish who says that the Finns hate the Swedes, though I don’t remember the reasons he gave. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had to do with the above.

    Comment by allison nonmerci — February 21, 2008 @ 3:37 pm

  174. Small point, Ireland has a population of 4.1 million, Northern Ireland 1.7 million, so in total just under double the figure you gave.

    Comment by Mossie — February 21, 2008 @ 3:54 pm

  175. As an American married to a Dutchman, I can confirm every word of what is said here as it pertains to the Netherlands – good stuff!

    Comment by Cheryl — February 21, 2008 @ 4:31 pm

  176. Finland is not considered part of Scandinavia.

    Comment by Sour Grapes — February 21, 2008 @ 5:45 pm

  177. the danes are the racists, not the norwegians.
    /swede

    Comment by marcus — February 21, 2008 @ 8:43 pm

  178. As a Brit (and an Englishman) I’d say that is pretty accurate. I would add that the Czech’s loathe the Germans. On a visit to Prague my friends and myself were bought several rounds of drinks based purely on the fact that the English football (soccer) team had just beaten Germany 5-1. They’re not best fond of the Russians either.

    The English antagonism to Europe goes way back, as the English national character from the 18th century on can be pretty much described as a rejection of perceived characteristics of other European nations: We’re not uptight like the Germans: we’re not foppish like the French; we’re not lazy like the Spaniards etc.

    Comment by Duncan — February 21, 2008 @ 9:45 pm

  179. The Greeks, hate everyone around them! Apparently they believe they invented Europe so everyone should respect them. “Their father were philosophers when the rest of Europe was apes and rapes” (just their mentalitiy).

    One of the oldest countries in Europe are the Albanians. Formerly known as the Illyrians they covered most of the Balkan, being limited only by the Thracians (Romania), the Macedonians and the Greeks.
    The Albanians today behave like the Italians (lazy and joyfull), dislike Greeks and hate Serbians. (Of course, the reason is the slaughtery medieval war of the Serbs agains the Albanians).

    Europe’s history is full of wars. No matter what he think of neutrality, our identities are always influenced by our history.

    Comment by AB — February 22, 2008 @ 12:08 am

  180. looks like ireland just lost a million people. and you really have to mention the fact that germans love the british, but love the irish even more. and the british either love the irish and feel slightly guilty, or resent us as a symbol of lost power. all of them.

    nice read though.

    Comment by er — February 22, 2008 @ 12:37 am

  181. thats not even a third of the countries in europe

    Comment by t(-_-t) — February 22, 2008 @ 1:05 am

  182. As a Dutch myself I love the following one about being miser;

    Do you know how a Dutch cook book starts?

    Borrow an egg !!!

    Comment by Florentina Mehta — February 22, 2008 @ 1:45 am

  183. As someone who has spent a great deal of time In Europe, I can say that the above is fairly accurate. And hilarious. I have one thing to add regarding Scandinavians. The Swedes, Norwegians and Danes all seem to regard the Finns as unpleasant people prone to drinking problems (funny coming from the other Scandinavians) and bad tempers.

    Comment by MF — February 22, 2008 @ 2:22 am

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  186. I like this post and agree with most of the views. I’m English.
    I would like to add the word stodgy, though to the description of Austrians.
    The English ex-pats disliking their host country are not just confined to European countries. The ex-pats in Kuwait certainly complained about that country too.
    Actually English people living in England are no different.They complain about England as a matter of course.
    So the conclusion might be that the English are a negative bunch which is certainly a contrast to the Americans who have a more positive and supportive view of their own country.

    Comment by Patricia — February 22, 2008 @ 12:02 pm

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  188. Very nice post! I’m Dutch and I was a bit surprised that we are seen as “know-it-alls”. Also, “van Duitse bloed” in our national anthem, does not mean “from German blood” at all! The old Dutch word “Duitsch” is why you call us “Dutch”. We would call a German “Germaansch”. Unfortunately I’m also aware the Dutch and German have their roots in common and we are very alike. Heck, I even work for a German company.

    Comment by John Willemse — February 22, 2008 @ 3:23 pm

  189. I love what you wrote there because it all seems true to me but as a German I’ll might have to add that we crack jokes on the Polish for stealing our cars but despite that we really like the Polish. It’s the Dutch we don’t like and probably every German would tell you that they’re bad drivers, by the way “Cheesehead” is a very popular cuss word foer them ( Kaeskoeppe). The English are disliked as well especially for always owning the best pool spots down in Ibiza and Mallorca. The British are called “Inselaffen” which means that they are “Monkeys from the isle”.
    Thanks for reading and never underestimate the Germans we’re not that sensitive about WW2 ;-)

    Comment by punta — February 22, 2008 @ 4:55 pm

  190. Well, I’m a Hungarian, and here’s what we think about other Europeans and vice versa.

    We do bear a grudge on every nation ever occupying Hungary (except for the Turks for some reason – they were considered noble enemies at the time, and highly cultured): Russia, Romania, Austria. Make no mistake, the Austro-Hungarian empire’s just a name, we were occupied, robbed and set up against all ethnic groups in the neighbourhood by the Habsburgs. We still can’t make our peace with the Treaty of Trianon cutting off two thirds of the country and distributing it among our neighbours, and it’s a pet peeve among the nationalistic youth. There is a major Hungarian minority in Romania, Slovenia, Ukraine and Serbia, which states treat these people like dirt – so we do hate them in turn. We tend to look down on those we don’t like, too.
    Not that we can stand each other either: there’s a great rift between urban and country people and between leftists and nationalists.
    We are a pretty hysteric bunch of people and are duly perceived as such, and our adaptability is usually interpreted as being sneaky, double-faced and opportunistic. Our only saving grace is the food and the wine…. Also, we’ve got a reputation of hospitability, but how that happened I can’t imagine – it’s not in the least sincere, at least towards tourists of every nation, but most of all the Germans.

    And let’s just not begin about the gypsies (sorry, Romany people, otherwise I might get a knife in my back)…

    Comment by Agnes — February 22, 2008 @ 5:06 pm

  191. Oops, sorry, a typo. Slovenia’s quite ok, I’ve meant Slovakia…
    The Slovenians are relaxed, friendly and fun :)

    Comment by Agnes — February 22, 2008 @ 5:10 pm

  192. Very entertaining.

    A couple of observations. I don’t know much about them, but the Belgians are French and Walloon and very different.

    I also think you slightly missed a trick with the Scandinavians. They’re not qute as chummy as you make out. The most brilliant illustration of this is dinner on the cruise ship scene from The Corrections. But our own experience of slagging off the Swedes to the Norwegians was interesting – we (me and my brother Americans and my Brit husband said) “they’re stuck up, rude and just hate fun”. The Norwegian thought this was funny, and then said “yes, but you know who’s really weird – the Finns!”

    Only my husband thought that was funny – as he explained to the Norwegian that my brother and I are of Finnish heritage.

    Comment by Vol Abroad — February 22, 2008 @ 10:22 pm

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  194. Unfortunately, this will all be quaint memories in 20 years when everybody in Europe who is under 20 is named Muhammad.

    Comment by John Bradford — February 23, 2008 @ 12:09 am

  195. Being a Swede myself, I can tell you what we really think of our neighbours. The Danes are a bunch of fat, arrogant racists, not the Norwegians. Finland is a nation of alcoholics, suffering from mutism when they occasionally happen to be sober. Norwegians are just peasants and somewhat a little behind. On the other hand: the Danes are also relaxed and more continental than we will ever be, the Finns have lots and lots of stamina and the Norwegians are stinking rich because of their oil from the Northern Sea. Sad, isn´t it…

    Comment by Bruno — February 23, 2008 @ 12:17 am

  196. I lived in Turkey for a year. The Greeks and the Turks absolutely despise each other. I have lived all over the world and never seen this kind of animosity.

    Comment by Alex — February 23, 2008 @ 6:40 am

  197. Hate to be a pain but I am a Canadian living in Sweden for a number of years, and I have some things to add to your section on Scandinavians.

    Swedes think that Norwegians are the lesser of all evils around them, then the Danes. It’s no mystery why Ikea only names carpets and flooring after Danish cities.

    If you are only talking about within Scandinavia, Swedes hate the Danes. I guess 600 years of war will do that. Every Swede has a story about how the Danes came up and massacred all the royalty of Sweden, killed a bunch of people in their own town, etc.

    Also, a great many Swedes LOVE Germany. It’s not just a small appreciation. I think worship would be more appropriate in terms of linguistics.

    They think that Finish is a weird language, lots of ä’s everywhere for what seems like no reason. Fins hate the Swedish language because they were all forced to learn it in school until recently. Also, Finland has a bit of resentment for the fact that they were owned by Sweden for over 500 years.

    The Norwegians also have some resentment about being controlled by Sweden recently, until around 1910. They pretend to hate the Swedes but I know a Norwegian who said that secretly all Norwegians feel shamed into talking Swedish when they are with a Swede because its just a nicer language, and seems more intelligent as well. But that was just one girls opinion.

    Ok hope my observations and the evidence I have seen around me and from friends helps you out!

    Comment by Alexis — February 23, 2008 @ 7:24 am

  198. Various people will love this insight involving What Europeans think of each other where believers have commented that the exclusive info is astonishing. Thanks for the aid you have given.

    Comment by Payday Loan — February 23, 2008 @ 8:34 am

  199. isabella snow, “bloody” in “you lost the bloody war…” means blood and is not something to laugh about.

    If you are American, then you do not know about the horrors of the WWII. After all, all your country does is make wars (and lots of them) in remote lands only.

    Now the USA has supported disintegration of Serbia, started lots of separatists movements. You can be proud of the government which wants to make sure that the EU falls apart within the next 15 years

    Comment by AD — February 23, 2008 @ 3:42 pm

  200. In the 60s an American pilot flying an airliner into Berlin was given very confusing instructions on landing. He asked for clarification and the German in the tower was rude and asked “Have you never flown into Berlin before?”. Replied the American pilot, “Oh, I’ve flown over Berlin lots of times, I just never landed…” Turns out he was a WWII vet who flew B-17s.

    Comment by Memphis — February 23, 2008 @ 4:02 pm

  201. this has got to be american – utter rubbish . get out there and see for yourself what it’s like .

    Comment by david anderson — February 23, 2008 @ 6:43 pm

  202. The Rebpublic of Ireland has a population of 5.5 million. I know loads of Irish that loath the English. They like the Scots, in general, and ignore the Welsh (Like everyone else).
    They dont know about the rest of Europe.
    Except the Polish. There can be quite strong anti-polish feelings in Ireland.

    Comment by Peter — February 23, 2008 @ 8:35 pm

  203. The British have some great chefs.

    Comment by flea — February 23, 2008 @ 8:43 pm

  204. This is the kind of stupidity that starts wars

    Comment by Jo — February 23, 2008 @ 9:03 pm

  205. Hi from Germany – i agree, nice summary and mostly true.
    Well observed!

    (And yes, i laughed about the joke ;) )

    Comment by Feinkost — February 23, 2008 @ 10:17 pm

  206. Hmm, i don’t think the brit thing is correct. Pretty much ALL English hate the French due to the shear amount of times they’ve tried to invade us throughout history, its defiantly not a 50% like/hate thing. Its also now true that half of us hate being called European, we love being part of it, we just don’t want your weak currency.

    it might be true that our government loves the US, but its not true of the population, most people don’t mind them, but if theres one over here they will get mocked.

    The bit you did get right is the part about us going abroad as tourists. We defiantly are bad in that area :P

    the Welsh are Scottish are tolerated, but are generally are teased and pushed away, theres not a hugely good relationship in the UK towards each other.

    Comment by Chris — February 23, 2008 @ 10:40 pm

  207. What about the portuguese? Are they so low in you consideration levels?

    Comment by GS — February 23, 2008 @ 11:16 pm

  208. I wish I had the money to live abroad… i don’t even have enough money to DATE a-broad!

    Comment by RB74 — February 24, 2008 @ 1:05 am

  209. As a Dutch myself I would use the word frugal instead of miser.

    Do you know how a Dutch cook book starts?

    Borrow an egg.

    Comment by Florentina Mehta — February 24, 2008 @ 3:01 am

  210. What a f-g load of bullshit! A primer for Americans, hear,hear! No wonder you are hated everywhere if you believe in this crap. Don’t you have any “advice” on niggers, jews and arabs too?

    Comment by George Bush — February 24, 2008 @ 9:26 am

  211. Regarding the Spanish: They aren’t liked very much by the Portuguese, and if you try and speak Spanish in Portugal, chances are that people will pretend not to understand you, even though they can understand every word.

    The Basques and the Catalans don’t consider themselves Spanish and consequently loathe Spaniards. I’ve found that you’re much more likely to get a positive response in Barcelono or Bilboa if you speak with a Latin-American accent than with a received Spanish accent. Mind you, speak with a Cuban Spanish accent and everyone laughs. Everyone thinks the Cuban accent is hilarious.

    Comment by Sam — February 24, 2008 @ 10:06 am

  212. [...] What Europeans Think of Each Other.  “This is a basic backgrounder for Americans, primarily, who might think Europeans do nothing all day but bitch about Americans. Don’t get me wrong—they do love bitching about Americans. But they also like bitching about each other, as well.” [...]

    Pingback by Links of Interest - 2/24/08 « MadSilence — February 24, 2008 @ 10:14 am

  213. Polish part is not very good, to be honest.

    Comment by opi — February 24, 2008 @ 11:57 am

  214. I know this one is a little late, but you were asking about more countries to your little sum up, and after spending some time on Hungary now I can perhaps add a little to your little story here. For though most Western Europeans do not really have a clue about Hungary, an increasing number are, as there is an ever increasing number of expats in Hungary, especially due to the large and increasing number of international shared services centres.

    Most Western Europeans regard Hungary plainly as another gray part of the Eastern block, and at best they are known for paprika, palinka, and pornography, so it is considered on the one hand bland, and on the other hand ‘the wild East’.

    The Hungarians themselves however feel cheated out of, what is ‘rightfully theirs’ due to unjust ruling results of WW1 and WW2. They generally consider the rest of Europe as a place to earn money, but never live, as they all come back, even though they all only have critical comments about Hungary in itself. If possible the Hungarians living in Hungary are more negative about Hungary then the English expats living there.

    Comment by Stig Storm — February 24, 2008 @ 1:27 pm

  215. Here’s another one. After the fall of East Germany, the German parliament was divided between moving the federal capital to Berlin or staying in Bonn. So, a compromise was made and they voted to move the capital of united Germany to Paris. Hey, even my rigid German friends thought it was hilarious–but not my French ones.

    Comment by Rene — February 24, 2008 @ 4:25 pm

  216. ahah nice one !

    hehe i’m french, what u said about us is more or less true.

    but surprisingly we kinda like the germans, even if we fought so many wars agaisnt them, we don’t hate them. and german students enjoy coming in France for studying.

    the dutch also like a lot France, they always come here for holidays.

    Comment by kali — February 24, 2008 @ 5:14 pm

  217. English pilot, having a bit of a time navigating on the ground at Berlin airport.

    Tower: Yes! Yes! Right at the next taxiway! Haven’t you ever been to flown to Berlin before!

    English Pilot: Quite a few times actually, in 1945. Didn’t stop then though.

    Comment by Brett P — February 24, 2008 @ 6:24 pm

  218. Yes, heaven is an Italian lover. How I adore i ragazzi!

    Comment by Carolyn A.-B. — February 24, 2008 @ 7:14 pm

  219. you put amsterdam in with britan, it is in holland.

    Comment by brad c. — February 24, 2008 @ 8:22 pm

  220. From Spain…so, we don’t dislike anyone. That are good news! :)

    But it must be because we “hate” all each other depending on the zone we live, and that is quite sad, isn’t it? ;)

    Comment by Jose — February 24, 2008 @ 11:01 pm

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  223. You should Include something about the Flanders/Walloon split among Belgians. Flanders (Dutch speakers) are a lot like Germans from what I’ve heard and look down on the Walloon (French speakers) who they consider to be lazy and live off the welfare state…

    Comment by SkBBR — February 25, 2008 @ 4:52 pm

  224. Here’s a classic joke to add.

    —
    The German controllers at Frankfurt Airport were a short tempered lot, they not only expected you to know your parking location but how to get there without any assistance from them, so it was with some amusement that we (Pan Am 747) listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground and a British Airways 747 (Speedbird)

    Speedbird: “Good morning Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of the active.”
    Ground: “Guten morgan, taxi to your gate.

    The BA 747 pulls onto the main taxiway and stops.

    Ground: “Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?!”
    Speedbird: “Standby ground, I’m looking up the gate location now.
    Ground (with typical German patience): “Speedbird, have you never been to
    Frankfurt before?!”
    Speedbird (cooly): “Yes, 1944, but I didn’t stop.”

    Comment by JohnA — February 25, 2008 @ 9:27 pm

  225. I studied abroad in Denmark (coming from the US) and one thing I head several times was that the Danes think the Swedes can’t hold their liquor. And I’ve heard that the Swedes say that Danish is a throat disease, because the languages are so similar, but Danish sounds a little harsher and, well, phlegmier.

    Comment by Elisabeth — February 26, 2008 @ 12:13 am

  226. links for 2008-02-26…

    Why the French aren’t fat – Gadling “they use internal cues — such as feeling full — to know when to stop eating.” (tags: food culture) Daily Candor » What Europeans think of each other “The Dutch, in turn,……

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  228. Any one have something similar concerning Bavarians vs. north Germans? Got the impression when i visited, that the Bayerisch still aren’t reconciled to being part of Germany.

    Comment by ken — February 26, 2008 @ 3:58 pm

  229. I need to add a few things from the Polish perspective (as I’m one myself).
    1. Most of the things written above about Poles are true.
    2. Poles do not like Germans either, but it’s true that they fear them also.
    3. Czechs are regarded by Poles as a little bit yellow as they didn’t fight to prevent their country’s annexation by Germans (and small part by Poles) in 1938-39.

    Comment by Andrew — February 27, 2008 @ 3:32 am

  230. I don’t know anybody who does not like French food and French language. But I know hardly anyone who likes French people. Your research is so true!

    Comment by IS — February 28, 2008 @ 5:10 pm

  231. Hi, I’m a spaniard who lives in the Netherlands.
    From my point of view your description it’s quite accurate.
    Definitively, some spanish people have strong prejudices about the arrogant frenchies mainly due to the spanish emigration to France after the Spanish Civil War.
    Finns don’t like Swedes and if the “know-it-all” smart-ass reputation of the Dutchies it’s not true, it smells like that.
    What can I say about Italians? We all love them but just if a party is involved.
    It would be interesting to me to know what Americans think of each other.
    Very good post

    Comment by Fernando — February 29, 2008 @ 6:59 pm

  232. I love the end heaven and hell comparison. :) It’s spot on! As a music fan, I’ve had the opportunity to experience german organisation skills and compare them to Italian. The fact that I never returned on an event in Italy ought to speak loudly enough. At first I thought 12 toilets for (supposedly) 50.000 people was a one off, then I was told, by people who’ve gone to the festival in previous years, that it’s a standard practice.

    The germans though… Thumbs up. I mean, they even provided showers!

    Comment by Glitz — February 29, 2008 @ 8:11 pm

  233. The Portuguese dislike the Spanish, and think that they are pushy and loud, and somewhat dishonest. The Spanish think that the Portuguese are stupid.

    Comment by LB — March 1, 2008 @ 1:38 am

  234. I find you comments about the Germans to be on course and than again way off course.

    I am an American expat, living here in Germany for 14 years.

    On course when you stated “Germans are considered industrious but uptight and humorless”.

    While I was stationed here with the US Army in 1978-80 I found this to be SO true. I spent many hours with some I considered to be “friends” and never once did I see them relax and enjoy live. (I was in the Rhineland-Pfalz).

    Later in 1989 I was posted in Bayern. I found the people to be even more uptight. Ask a Baverian if he is a German or a Baverian and he will proudly state that he is first a Baverian than a German.

    So far I have agreed with your observations.

    When I first lived here (after retiring from the US Army) I was accepted but I was not.

    Only after you live as one are you really accepted! Only than will you see the Germans as they truly are….warm, friendly, funny (once you understand their humor) and loving. Also they are not really hardworking all the time!

    Just my thoughts!

    Comment by JMB — March 1, 2008 @ 9:41 am

  235. Pretty accurate… but as a Brit who lives in Switzerland, I think you’re too soft on the Spanish. It’s a country just as divided as Belgium (which won’t exist in a decade) and just like the other south Europeans, is full of city dwellers who think they’re God’s gift to humanity while secretly horrified at the impovishered, 14C nature of their countryside.
    Plus.. ‘Europe’ now includes all those ex tin-pot, wacky east european countries which seem to be emptying rapidly .. and so they’re all lumped together as the ‘new immigrants’ and, sadly, widely despised and shunned.

    Comment by tim — March 1, 2008 @ 2:06 pm

  236. “but I have yet to meet an Irishman who really loathes the English. ”
    Trust me, there are Irish people who really loathe the English.

    I can appreciate that the article should be taken with a pinch of salt. But to elaborate on how the Irish view Europeans,

    Scottish, fond for the drink and bad eating habits like the Irish and great for playing in Rugby and both nations share a similar Celtic bloodline and a shared grudge against England.

    English, 800 years of war and English rule, they imposed a famine on the Irish. Suffice to say the Irish love beating the English at sports. Especially English sports. English view us poor and barbaric and in need of their rule.

    Germans, stuck a pipeline into Ireland and starting pumping deutsche marks or ‘EU structural funds’. Basically provided us with our current high standard of living and the Celtic Tiger. Not to mention good cars and good beer. Love BMWs and Warsteiner. They view us as having crappy roads compared to their ‘autobahns’ and poor public transport and health system.

    Polish, at the moment there is a huge number of Eastern Europeans in Ireland at the moment. Ten percent of our work force is Polish. They are viewed as both hard working and hard playing ( can be a rough crowd) . Lack humour but love vodka. Polish see us in some ways similar to them. Very Catholic country, over dependence on agriculture in the past, love of drink.

    Comment by Dev — March 1, 2008 @ 3:30 pm

  237. I’m a very subjective Greek and I dissagree with the coments about Greeks. Do your homework people. Other than that, all the rest very funny, although not always true….

    Comment by Dimitris — March 2, 2008 @ 2:46 am

  238. ||| Sorry I mean –>Objective

    Comment by Dimitris — March 2, 2008 @ 2:47 am

  239. In regards to Portuguese -

    They DESPISE the Spanish. They recent them for their more prosperous economy and find they to be back stabbing and double talkers. According to the Portuguese, one should never trust a Spaniard. However, the Spanish don’t harbor such feelings towards the Portuguese. Mainly because they see the Portuguese are below them and thus inconsequential. This of course irritates the Portuguese to no end. Plus I’m sure there is trifle that goes back to the voyages of discovery.

    Comment by j — March 2, 2008 @ 7:33 am

  240. This is really funny…I stumbled it.
    It’s also a bit helpful, like the Copenhagen part.

    Love the poster part :)

    Comment by Mallory — March 2, 2008 @ 11:38 pm

  241. “…you never, ever hear jokes about Germans in Poland.”!!!!!!
    you never, ever should write never, ever. that’s what came to my mind when i read your text; is the rest of it similarly true?
    Good third part of polish jokes are about “Pole, Russian and German” and believe me, it is the last one who always gets the beating.

    Comment by asano — March 3, 2008 @ 3:03 am

  242. “nominally considered European”…
    MEGALOL
    even the name “EUROPE” is…. Greek!
    …and if i may ask what would “Europe” look like today if the Marathon Battle had a differnent outcome…
    PLEAZE DO US ALL A FAVOR AND EDUCATE YOURSELF

    Comment by bob — March 3, 2008 @ 5:29 am

  243. This such a lie. Nothing you said here is true. I’ve been living in Europe all my life. I have been everywhere in Europe, traveling for 20 years now. And what you say is a big lie. You’re generalizing opinions from so few people to whole countries. Think before you act and keep it to yourself.

    Comment by Charlie Miller — March 3, 2008 @ 7:47 am

  244. [...] If you want to find out what are the other Europeans “REALLY” like click here. [...]

    Pingback by Europe: who hates who? / Evropane: kdo koho nenavidi? — March 3, 2008 @ 4:55 pm

  245. Hi,

    I am Czech myself and I think that you pretty much nailed the whole article. And yes, lot of Czechs come across as cold and rude but that is their “hard shell”…deep inside, they are just a little cuddly bears :)

    I liked your article so much that I linked it to my blog, the Czechmatediary! THanks!

    Comment by Tanja — March 3, 2008 @ 5:00 pm

  246. [...] Daily Candor ” What Europeans think of each other [...]

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  247. well for europeans all, i wonder what do they know and think about Turks. Well for us, europeans are very bad people that are always seeking ways of fuc.ing our behinds. that is what we are taught to believe. i wonder do people in europe really belive that we are just muslim barbarians that live in caves and women have to wear that black dresses? and in every fuck.ng minute we try to find ways of bombing somewhere? Is it really true that some europeans believe this fuckng shit? come on i really wanna learn.

    Comment by carlos — March 4, 2008 @ 9:34 am

  248. “Poles ……., although they don’t like Czechs, Slovaks or Lithuanians either.”

    That’s bollocks. Poles like Czechs and Slovaks ! And they are neutral for Lithuanians (with a bit of likeness).

    Comment by K — March 4, 2008 @ 12:07 pm

  249. well about ROMANIANS if i may say ( im romanian so i think i may ) – they hate the Bulgarians – though we sometimes call them brothers from the south -. We hate them because there`s this permanent competiton among us but we always seem to end up at the same table and almost equals ( though we are better :P ). At the moment we hate them because they have managed to improve their toursim sector – sea and mountains – more than us.

    We also hate the Hungarians for obvious historical reasons. Fellows, Transilvania is OURS and it will stay that way! We have given you too many rights already. In some cities in Transilvania if u ask a Hungarian for directions he will never speak Romanian though he understands the language. They`re so mean, man!! Go back to your country! ( the problem is that their host country hates them too)

    The Hungarians from Hungaria though, i dont know why, seem to like us. I ve seen some cocktails in a bar in Budapest with the romanian flag. That cool!

    We looove the Yougoslavians though we ve kinda kiked them in the ass few years ago to prove the US our love and dedication. Maybe the guilt made us love them more.

    I dont even want to start on the Ukrainians! I personally hate their guts. They think theyre so superior and they make fun us considering us the worst species ever. Oh how I hate them!

    We hate the Russians too, the Moldavians – so and so but i think they hate us more – donno why since we ve tried to help them so many times during the history – that Russian regime, for sure.

    We just looove the Americans and that sucks! You should see the fireworks here on july 4th. We also love everything from the west as we long for beeing so developed as them.

    Im courious about others` opinion about Romania and not only!

    Comment by syl — March 4, 2008 @ 2:49 pm

  250. I bet Isabella Snow is English… Brits have such a strange humor.

    Comment by Anonymous — March 4, 2008 @ 4:04 pm

  251. The Brits have a tendency to look down on the Poles because many Polish people have moved over here in recent years in search of work. They are known for working for very cheap wages but also for being hard workers (considering how little they are paid, and the fact that many of them are working tough jobs for long hours just to help out their families). There are currently many Polish people living in England especially, and they can often be seen working in bars, pubs, and fast foot outlets.

    Just a little info.

    Comment by Calicut — March 4, 2008 @ 6:36 pm

  252. I feel bad for the Germans. It really is a great diverse country, well over Nazism.

    Comment by Tony — March 5, 2008 @ 6:30 am

  253. [...] at the excellent What Europeans Think of Each Other article at Daily [...]

    Pingback by Heaven & Hell from a European Perspective at The Long Journey — March 5, 2008 @ 9:46 am

  254. Ha ha, good ones. :D Made me laugh.

    Anyway, please people, check your facts! Finland’s not part of Scandinavia. :P Only Sweden and Norway are, due the Scandinavian mountains. Altogether these countries that usually get called “Scandinavia” are actually Nordic Countries. If you’d like to add Finland to Scandinavia, it becomes Fennoscandia. Finland is not part of Scandinavia by language, culture nor geography.

    And we Finns dislike Swedes as well. ;D

    Comment by Silva — March 5, 2008 @ 11:53 am

  255. i have lived in europe and apart from belgium the whole contient is pretty crap in terms of peoples atitides and genreal freindliness

    Comment by donald swaize — March 5, 2008 @ 11:54 am

  256. What a load of shit. Whoever wrote this garbage clearly knows nothing about Europe. and certainly nothing about the UK.
    What a twat.

    just for 1 example you wrote
    “but I have yet to meet an Irishman who really loathes the English”
    Have you been living in a cave for the last 30 years?

    And while i am at it, here is another one
    “Scots and Welsh are tolerated and liked, inasmuch as that no one really knows too much about them outside the UK”

    Why don`t you fuck off back to America, you are embarrassing yourself on this continent.

    Nobody knows about the Scots outside the UK?.
    That is probably the stupidest thing i have heard in a long time.

    If there was another list pointing out the American stereotypes then you would be a prime example
    you weak minded, ignorant, poorly educated, gormless pleb.
    (also you are probably morbidly obese)

    Comment by Himnim — March 5, 2008 @ 5:27 pm

  257. quite sad when you consider that the war has been over for over 60 years now…

    Comment by mk — March 5, 2008 @ 6:54 pm

  258. Hmmm. I can’t agree about the Dutch. Being dutch I can pretty much say, most of us don’t like the french, most of them are either drug tourists visiting our country or, when visiting theirs, totally unwilling to speak anything but French.
    We look down on the Belgians for being stupid. We dislike the germans, not so much because of WW2 but how we lose from them in soccer matches. We have no problems with the English or Italian people. Although the Italians are infamous for stealing girlfriends :)
    We hardly have an opinion on the Swiss, we just go to switzerland for skiing. Oh, I thought the Dutch were seen as open minded, liberal people. Not stuck up know it alls…

    Comment by Papa.Coen — March 5, 2008 @ 9:58 pm

  259. The Portuguese hate the spanish for messing up their reputation and the english for messing up their night clubs and beaches with loud-mouthed-drunkness, the south parts are practically ruled by brittish tourists in the summer.

    The portuguese are considered brazilian by the spanish and spanish by the rest of europe. Portuguese however wish to have nothing to do with their former colony and are very piky about the fact that their language is different from both spanish and brazilian dialect, even if the difference is minute to a foreigner.

    For some reason they seem to have a soft spot for the italians and eastern europeans, possibly because of sharing their standard of living, set much below most of the rest of europe, especially germany and the nordic countries.

    Comment by DR — March 6, 2008 @ 8:24 pm

  260. You are soo wrong about spaniards…I´m from Mexico and they love us there. I´ve been to Spain 3 times and everyone is just open and very warm.

    Special treatment in bars, nightclubs and restaurants (special treatment as in free drinks and stuff like that).

    Maybe other latin countries, but if you’re mexican they are gonna love you.

    Comment by jose luis — March 6, 2008 @ 10:21 pm

  261. I know few polish jokes about germans.

    Comment by oko — March 6, 2008 @ 10:27 pm

  262. A good definition of the Europeans, but there’s one thing I have to disagree with – Poles are not scared of the Germans. We just think that they have no real souls or personalities and are real perfection freaks, so are not worth noticing.

    Comment by KM — March 7, 2008 @ 7:48 am

  263. I am german, no european has EVER teased me about the war. So is this made up or what? BS

    Comment by German — March 7, 2008 @ 12:18 pm

  264. What you wrote about the Poles is inaccurate. I’m Polish (born and raised). Poles don’t hate the Lithuanians more than the Germans, and you do hear jokes about the Germans in Poland all the time. The article is just plain inaccurate. As for German animosity towards Poles, I’ve only experienced it in small far apart doses. Usually they get on, I would say.

    Comment by Prendegast Tabernacle — March 7, 2008 @ 1:49 pm

  265. Be brave, Americans and tell us also about your own inadequacies before pissing over the Europe you ‘ld like to ‘do’ so much.And remember most of you are not the real thing,but come from yes this tragicly hip Europe

    Comment by Hl — March 9, 2008 @ 12:21 am

  266. You forgot the Icelanders.

    Comment by Terry — March 9, 2008 @ 1:00 am

  267. Stupid stereotypes…

    Comment by Nick — March 9, 2008 @ 9:42 pm

  268. Amusing writeup!

    Some things sound very familiar to me, but some don’t :-)

    Especially the myth that germans don’t like the polish – I have lots of friends that came from poland. And I can’ t say something bad about them.

    I also don’t know if it is good to spread such old-fashioned prejudices… people should form their own opinions…

    But I’m just a humorless german ;-)

    Best wishes to all !
    Jonas

    Comment by Jonas — March 10, 2008 @ 7:41 pm

  269. Well…I should say that the Portuguese and the Spanish are almost brothers but if we look back in history we see that Spain, for more than one time, tryed to conquer Portugal, but with no succes. Maybe because of that some portugueses don´t always like the spanish :)

    Sorry for my bad english!

    Comment by Nahanni — March 11, 2008 @ 2:56 am

  270. portuguese are quite the same as spaniards although less racists (yes, they are a little racist…)

    Comment by agua — March 11, 2008 @ 10:21 am

  271. The “van Duitsen bloed” in the Dutch national anthem actually refers to William the First (1533-1584), not to the Dutch in general. William was a German nobleman who is considered the ‘Father of the Netherlands’. Hence the reference to his German ancestry.

    Comment by Bastiaan — March 11, 2008 @ 9:03 pm

  272. Overall a fabulously written text. I have some pointers for you though:

    The Czechs did not resist Hitler’s aggression. They surrendered without so much as firing one shot!

    The Poles tell as many jokes about Germans as they do about other nationalities. It’s usually a joke along the lines of: “So there is a German, a Russian and a Pole…”

    The Irish like Poles because of the parallels in history (being under almost constant occupation) and because the pope was Polish. The Polish like the Irish in return ;-)

    The Poles go to Slovakia for cheap alcohol. And speaking of Czechs – we have this expression: “Czech movie – no one knows what is going on”.

    The Czechs and the Slovaks find the Polish language funny, and understand each other pretty well, whereas the Poles think the Czechs and Slovaks speak a diminutive Polish (that’s how it sounds to us) and have slight difficulty understanding either of them.

    The Lithuanians hate Poles for the time when our tanks assisted the Ruskies in pacifying Vilnus sometime in the 1980s or sth. …and no one blames them, that was a dumbass thing to do.

    Hungarians are a Pole’s best friend and vice versa – we had the same one king once. We have a saying in Polish (and Hungarians have the exact same translation!!!) stating “Pole, Hungarian brothers two, both for drinking and for hew”.

    The Hungarians do not speak any other language than their own “hellish” tongue ;-) They have the best parties in Central-Eastern Europe and they drink a lot of red wine.

    Poles drink anything from beer to paint-stripper, as long as it’s got alcohol in it (the more the better).

    … plenty more where that came from, sadly I have no more time. Cheerio!

    Matt

    Comment by Matt — March 11, 2008 @ 9:44 pm

  273. Hitler was born in Germany ;) we talked about that at school last week
    btw come to Austria before you say such silly things about us!

    You don’t know what you are talking about.

    You need some extra lessons history. The Germans gave Hilter power… –> we don’t like them^^

    consider updating your text ;)

    Comment by Austria — March 11, 2008 @ 10:01 pm

  274. I’ve been told that Hitler’s Austrian accent, to Germans, sounded very “yokel”. That means the Fuhrer sounded more like one of the Worzels or Justin Lee-Collins. Think of that the next time you see one of those grainy films of the Neuremberg rallies.

    And at one place I worked all the Danes hated the HR woman who was German: now I know it wasn’t just because she was a stickler for the sick-pay rules …

    Comment by Max — March 12, 2008 @ 9:23 pm

  275. what about the portuguese??

    Comment by berylaite — March 13, 2008 @ 9:33 pm

  276. I dont get the joke…but then again, im not english…

    Comment by asd — March 14, 2008 @ 5:49 am

  277. Actualy, the Danes are the one who is considered to be racist, not the Norwegians. They’ry just stupid, and they talk really funny.

    Comment by Kåre — March 14, 2008 @ 6:11 am

  278. Emily M. , you’re really an English teacher? That explains a lot about the kids I see on the intertubes.

    Comment by Your Mom — March 14, 2008 @ 6:32 am

  279. Romania, Slovakia and Serbia love each other on grounds of their genuine hate towards Hungarians. It’s weird to see hard-liner nationalists hugging and kissing other countries’ radicals but that’s the way it is because they share the passion of wiping up the floor with ethnic Hungarians (there are millions in each country).

    In return, Hungarians have always considered them savage peoples, joking about them having no history and culture (because they oppressed them for like 1000 years). Hungarians tend to believe they are inherently more sophisticated than virtually any other nation in the world just because they got to learn the most complicated language on Earth.

    Comment by jozseff — March 16, 2008 @ 3:07 am

  280. You probably ignore the fact that Spaniards are viscerally hated by the Portuguese. The reasons are: stupid sounding, guttural language (as when compared to Portuguese, a very similar language); the fact that Spaniards seem to relish ignoring other languages and cultures (probably because their culture is so strong but their perception of the strength of their culture is even stronger) and because of historic rilvaries: the Portuguese and the Spanish have had land disputes from the founding of Portugal in 1143.

    Comment by Nuno Lagoa — March 16, 2008 @ 4:29 am

  281. I am one exception to this generalisation about Brits:

    1. I can cook very well. Plus I also think that this ‘British food is crap’ myth is just that nowadays, a myth. Besides, what is British food now? Indian curry could just as easily be considered the national dish of England.
    2. I do not hate all Europeans, preferring most of them to my own race. Except the Parisians. And anyway, most of the French despise them more than I do.
    3. I live abroad [Japan] but still love the good things about my country. It’s just that the list of good things was getting shorter every year I spent there.
    4. I dont hate America, just George Bush and his cronies.
    5. I enjoy foreign languages
    6. I behave myself even when I am drunk

    Comment by Alfie Goodrich — March 16, 2008 @ 10:00 am

  282. I am Dutch and I don’t like Germans and Belgians. But I prefer Scandinavian countries.

    Comment by Yantju — March 16, 2008 @ 2:18 pm

  283. I’m Portuguese, we’re probably the only european country with negative stereotypes towards spanish people which is due largely by repeated wars: first to found Portugal and then to expand. Later to negotiate what parts of the discovered world belonged to each nation and continuous batles to fight off spanish invasions.
    Spanish people are regarded with suspicion, seen as loud and arrogant, sometimes tacky, but also perceived as merry, extroverted and having excellent food.
    Near the borders the stereotypes are forgotten and people co-exist peacefully.

    Comment by barbara — March 16, 2008 @ 6:55 pm

  284. You are quite wrong about the Poles. The hate to Russia is, as I just said, just a hate to the state of Russia, but when a Pole and a Russian meet they are usually good friends from first sight. The aversion to the Ukrainians is common only among older people form east of Poland, mainly due to Ukrainian collaboration with the Nazis. But among young and middle-age people they’re commonly respected for their recent democratic aspirations (they are now going the path we’ve done 20 yr. ago).

    What you’re completely wrong is our relationship to the Czechs. They are, I’m not afraid to use such word, beloved here for their beer and movies. The Slovaks are considered “the other Czechs” and we like them as well. The Lithuanians are liked too, because we once formed a one state, but they rather don’t like us (because we once formed a one state)

    I can not imagine what kind of Poles you had meet to get such opinion about our opinion about the Germans. There is a lot of upfront hatred to them in Poland. It’s source is of course WWII and their comparative welfare, believed so undeserved.

    Best regards (hope my English do not hurt you)

    Comment by A Pole — March 17, 2008 @ 12:52 am

  285. Very interesting.

    Comment by D.Robin87 — March 17, 2008 @ 2:46 pm

  286. Romanians — hated by Italians, Spaniards, Germans and French for being thieves (actually it’s the rromani ethnic minority that does 90% of the looting).

    Also Romanians generally hate Hungarians and Turks (due to historical reasons). And they also carry a deep disdain for the rromani (gypsies).

    Generally Romanians are considered moderately good chefs and a rather witty people, yet also laziness and corruption are considered national traits.

    Internal conflicts: Transylvanians hate Moldavians and sountheners for being lazy and corrupt, Moldavians and southeners hate Transylvanians for being both arrogant and hungarian lovers.

    Comment by E — March 18, 2008 @ 3:05 pm

  287. Hi,

    In my experience, you’ve got it mostly right. As a Finn I’d like to add that we really dislike swedes. Most commonly we consider all swedish men gay.

    One thing about the Greeks: they really, really hate Turks. Gotta say that I haven’t met an European, who thinks that Turkey is in Europe, or that the Turks are European.

    Comment by AM — March 18, 2008 @ 4:55 pm

  288. As a real Dutchman I always take my own potatoes on a holiday to France.I love the french because they have ALDI’s
    My caravan saves me a lot of hotel costs !
    I love the Germans because they all speak english with a world war two accent.

    Comment by leo — March 18, 2008 @ 6:16 pm

  289. What about the Portuguese?!!!

    Comment by Jose — March 19, 2008 @ 12:46 am

  290. I am originally from England and moved to California in Auust ’07 and I couldn’t agree anymore with the last sentence of ‘The British’ section as I definitely do not want to return home anytime soon, only when I visit family etc.

    Quote: “Europe is full of English expats, and the longer they live abroad, the more they seem to hate their host country. And yet they never seem to want to move home.”

    Comment by Stoo — March 19, 2008 @ 6:32 pm

  291. I am a Pole and I think what has been written about my people is completely wrong. Anyway, that does not really surprise me as generalisations are never true.
    I don’t hate anybody and I am not quiet, nor are other Polish people. This is the way somebody wants to see us, for some irrational reason (but there must be some).

    Comment by anna — March 19, 2008 @ 9:20 pm

  292. I don’t understand why you think there are only 3 Million in Ireland, there are just over 6 Million, thats like saying there is only 150 Million in the USA!

    Comment by Dazla — March 20, 2008 @ 7:34 am

  293. I’m still laughing. I’m an American expat living in Amsterdam and formerly lived in Spain. Right on target this is!

    Comment by suzanne — March 20, 2008 @ 10:00 am

  294. I’ve always like the Irish!

    Comment by nicole — March 22, 2008 @ 3:27 pm

  295. Have to disagree with poor French mechanics. They led the world in motor engineering and aeronautics, especially in the early days.
    Also, having been stuck in rural France with a broken motorcycle engine to have a precision part actually MADE to fit the engine within a couple of hours left me with permanent admiration for their skills
    K (British)

    Comment by Keith Paterson — March 27, 2008 @ 9:35 am

  296. Hehe, good guide, but I can say that Swedes and Spaniards dont like each other that much.

    Comment by Marcus — March 28, 2008 @ 3:01 pm

  297. There is no truth written about Poles. I’m Polish We are considered quiet? I’ve never heard it before. And we have very good relationship with Czechs, Slovaks and Ukrainians. But in fact there is ambiguity about Russians.
    We “don’t really care about Germans”? Many Poles -mostly older people, who remember WW2 – hate them. And there are many jokes about three people – German, Russian and Pole.

    Comment by forrestus — March 29, 2008 @ 4:16 pm

  298. [...] look at what I found a cute, wonderful blog today that summarizes what Europeans think of each other. The Scandinavians — Widely respected by most other Europeans, because of their high standard of [...]

    Pingback by Is Swedish a competive advantage - for women? | from the hip — March 30, 2008 @ 1:19 am

  299. Interesting viewpoints, thanks for the article. I might reference it in a future blog post :-)

    Terri
    http://goscandinavia.about.com

    Comment by Terri — March 30, 2008 @ 3:02 pm

  300. I’m from Luxembourg, between France and Germany and under Belgium.
    It’s not wrong what your writing, maybe something missing.
    I know a lot of Portuguese, they are strong workers and the family is very important for them they are even very Christian, maybe because it’s a poor EU country. In some parts they are not very liked, for example in the opinion about the Iraq-war, but in this case they have to share the American opinion, because of the subsidy they got from them like the Marshal plan and others. They have also a lot of American weapons on there territory like a lot of other countries, but WTF do American has European weapons in there country? No

    Comment by szenen — March 31, 2008 @ 4:42 pm

  301. the greeks are the best of the europe and better lovers than the italians…haven’t you heard about greek lovers?

    Comment by alex — April 1, 2008 @ 3:39 am

  302. Very factual observations – even if only meant as humor.

    Comment by MONN TANNO — April 1, 2008 @ 12:50 pm

  303. Hey, czech part is not quite accurate :D

    “Czechs are a bit like Germans, though — a bit rude, blunt, and cold”
    - Czechs dislike germans because they are rude and blunt. The correct is: Some czechs are unfriendly to strangers, becasue of communist dictatorship they are really cold. Also dont behave much “freely” – dont want to step out from crowd. We like our Slovakian brothers, we like poles too, or we dont have reason to hate them. We dont like germans, not because of WW2, but because the way they eat food (they grunt), also we dont like austrians because they kept blocking southern border and kept shitting on our very unstable nuclear powerplant at their border ( :d ), and also because they consider czechs thefts and criminals – they were scared after EU border opening that we will become refugees ( :D ) and run to south. Nothing from that happened.

    Comment by Czech — April 9, 2008 @ 8:25 pm

  304. [...] – and animosities remain until this very day.I had to really laugh out loud when I found this great blog post on Daily Candor about the characteristics of all the different Europeans and what they think of [...]

    Pingback by What Europeans Really Think Of Each Other | Marc Baumann — April 9, 2008 @ 9:34 pm

  305. My grandmother was Hungarian. I don’t know if she was typical of Hungarians, but here goes: She hated the Polish, the Czechs and the Russians with a passion so great that swear-words in English were apparently unable to properly convey her sentiments. She respected the Germans, but the rest of Europe was useless and only good for vacationing. She loved America so much she migrated over here and became a citizen. She also hated a bunch of people named the “Roma” that she said where worthless gypsies that needed to be killed on sight. She also said that no one in Hungary shed a tear when Hilter carted the Roma off to the concentration camps.

    Comment by forteanchicken — April 11, 2008 @ 6:17 am

  306. Very very nice article! Even tho i’m european i’ve enjoyed it thoroughly! nice job

    Comment by Raul O — April 12, 2008 @ 1:02 pm

  307. Did you know there are tree kinds of Dutch?
    answer: the Amsterdamn Dutch, the Rotterdamn Dutsch, and..the other damn Dutch….heh heh…

    Comment by Cor Hollenberg — April 14, 2008 @ 6:53 pm

  308. I disagree with some of the morons that have posted here. Obviously illiterate Swedish white trash that neither comprehend the English language nor the geography culture and history of their part of the world. Even though the Finnish language differs from Norwegian Danish annd Swedish, the Finns share so many cultural social and historical ties with their Scandinavian neighbours that they very well can be, and often are considered as being Scandinavians.

    I share the view of the writer that the Swedes are disliked by their Nordic neighbours. They are thought of for historical reasons as the cowards that chose to stay out of the last war and instead collaborate with the natzis, why their countries(Norway Denmark) were occupied.The Finns who literally were fighting for their lives against their colossal Soviet neighbour feel the same way.
    Furhermore the Swedish men are thought of as emotional feminine sissies and drunks that cannot handle their liquor, that when abroad are loud hysterical and ill-mannered.

    Comment by Lalli — April 26, 2008 @ 9:00 am

  309. The Danes are icky and lazy.

    Comment by Christer Soneson — April 28, 2008 @ 11:52 am

  310. Some remarks from a Swede on the Nordic countries.

    First of all:
    Scandinavia = Sweden, Norway, Denmark
    The Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland

    Between the Nordic countries, we seem to bicker and bitch a bit, but it’s mostly just teasing, because we actually like eachother, but then again, we get annoyed with eachother too sometimes. So, I guess we are just like siblings, except Iceland, who is more of a cousin.

    Languages: To a Swede, Danish sounds like someone is talking with their mouth full, Finnish sounds strange, ugly and sad, Norwegian sounds jolly, funny and a little stupid, Icelandic strange and intriguing and every word ends in “-ur”.

    Sports: To the Swedes, Finns are rivals in ice-hockey and athletics, Norwegians are rivals in skiing. Danes are really not rivals (possibly in football/soccer), because they are not that good at sports. If Sweden gets knocked out of a soccer tournament, Swedes tend to cheer for Denmark instead. We would not cheer for Norway.

    As a Swede, I would think of Danes as laid-back and outspoken, Swedes as rational, polite and introvert, Finns as sad, manly and extremely introvert, Norwegians as jolly and proud, but a bit in the back-waters, Icelandics as… well, we tend to forget that they exist, but they are usually very nice people.

    Swedes like, envy and admire the Danes because Danes seem to be able to enjoy life more, and not take things that seriously. So, Swedes also think Danes are a bit lazy and less industrious. We laugh at Danish workers who drink beer in the morning. On the other hand, Swedes often have a bad reputation in Denmark as drunks behaving badly. Danes seem to view Sweden as a very bureaucratic country, and Swedes as uptight. I always get the feeling that Swedes like Danes more than they like us.

    Swedes tell jokes about Norwegians and vice versa. We don’t tell jokes about Danes, and seldom about Finns. I guess the Danes don’t really care about us that much, and the Finns are probably busy boozing and knife-fighting in the sauna. Or maybe it’s because telling a joke about Swedes would force them to actually say something. ;.)

    Sweden is politically correct, Denmark is not. So, in Denmark, immigration problems are discussed openly, which makes Swedes see Danes as more racist, although they are just more frank.

    Sweden is the largest of the Nordic countries, and we tend to forget that the others don’t want to be bossed around, and that they resent us when we think we know better. And most of the times, we think that we know better.

    The largest Nordic immigrant group in Sweden is, by far, the Finns, and some Swedes seem to look down on them a little. On the other hand, there is a small Swedish minority in Finland that divides that country a bit, and many Finns resent the fact that they have to learn Swedish just because of this small minority.

    If Finns think Swedish men are all feminine (and even gay), I understand why. We deserve that reputation. :-)

    Comment by Mr Hamrell — April 29, 2008 @ 1:18 pm

  311. The Irish do too hate the English. I know like two guys who fondly reminisce (I am in Scotland) of their grandparents hiding shotguns etc in their houses during the troubles, and how whenever the troops said “hi” they would just spit on the street and keep walking.

    Comment by Max T — April 29, 2008 @ 10:33 pm

  312. this is all bulshit. Europeans only bitch about the states becuse they all sit on their fat asses and think they control the whol world. And most European countries get along with echoter they dont bitch about the other countries only if they due something really stupid. I dont know where you got your info but its all a bunch of bullshit. And it dosent sound like u know anything about Europe.

    Comment by unknown — May 10, 2008 @ 8:18 pm

  313. What a bunch of crap!

    I can tell you one thing: Most Europeans will have their prejudices about Americans confirmed by viewing your ridiculous allegations.

    Comment by Siv, woman from Norway — May 15, 2008 @ 12:43 pm

  314. Nope – you are way off with that.. Wrong on too many levels to count..

    Comment by Bud Fox — May 27, 2008 @ 6:42 pm

  315. Nice article there :)

    Comment by Bruno van den Elshout — June 8, 2008 @ 7:58 am

  316. As an American, I’ve learned several things, especially from the comments: the Irish are very sensitive about the size of their population, the Spanish are very sensitive about any implication that they may not be white or European (they’re certainly both, for the most part, but why the anger?), and that quite a few Europeans express hatred of ALL Americans when one American stereotypes them.

    Also interesting to compare some American attitudes about Blacks and some European attitudes about the Roma (Gypsies). The difference being that we’re far more likely to elect a Black leader than any European country a Roma leader…

    Comment by Bricker — June 9, 2008 @ 12:53 pm

  317. Very true, Bricker. I’ve found that Europeans in general are a lot more sensitive around nationality than we are. They know more, but with that seems to come a host of very specific, incontrovertible prejudices. That is a generalization – I’ve certainly met a few exceptions – but it’s one that holds true far more than for Americans.

    I also await the day that a European country elects an ethnic Arab or Turk to head their government. (I don’t think it will happen in our lifetime)

    Comment by JM — June 10, 2008 @ 10:07 am

  318. European nations, I’m afraid, cannot get rid of stereotypes. Some of these are well grounded in the past and the nature of the nation. As a Pole I cannot think well about Germans who murdered several members of my family, millions of Poles, destroyed Poland almost completely – my home as well, and never tried to pay a pfenig of war damages. Owing to the war we had communism which combined with war ruined our economy so that now many Poles like slaves have to look for employment abroad. That is why Germans will remain the most hated nation in Poland.

    But it is not true that Poles hate all the rest – Czechs with their culture, language, films, humour, etc. are very popular in Poland. Slovaks are generally liked as well. With Russians and Ukrainians we had rather complicated relationship which finds reflexion in an ambiguous attitude towards these two nations. Lithuanians do not like us because we took Vilnius before the War – but in Poland people tend to think – still – well about them because for centuries we had a common state. There are, of course, grumpy idiots everywhere, who seem to hate everyone else, but it would be most irrational to describe nation’s feelings towards other nation on the basis of what those grumpy idiots think.

    Comment by Pawel_Poland — June 14, 2008 @ 6:52 am

  319. Swietnie powiedziane, Pawel. It helps to understand some of the historical context to some prejudices, like you’ve done.

    Comment by JM — June 16, 2008 @ 1:15 pm

  320. as a german i can say the following – the ‘ive been in germany before….but we didnt land’ seems to be the most popular joke ever

    else, about england – they all look the same (esp the ghastly women) and have sticks up their bottoms

    the scots are fat & mainly eat fried mars bars

    italians scream for their mothers when climaxing

    all of scandinavia is seen as sweden which is seen as that cook from the muppet show

    Comment by fritz fritzofferson — June 18, 2008 @ 10:09 am

  321. [...] It’s pretty interesting to see what Europeans think of each other. [...]

    Pingback by The World of Stuff » Blog Archive » This is it — June 18, 2008 @ 2:52 pm

  322. Well, as a Czech I would rather deny that Czechs are cold. They are cold on the first sight toward unknown people, that is right, but after they get to know the other side better, Czechs usually throw off that cold shell and change themselves into charming hosts and good friends. Just do not push hard on Czechs, give them some time to have a sniff at you. You will not regret that :-) . As for Slovaks – people from Slovakia are our closest friends, I personally have lot of friends and customers in Slovakia and generally I feel at home in Slovakia. We consider Poles as religious bigots a bit, but generally we like them (some of my most impressive vacations have taken place in Poland). We hate Russians for being such imperialistic thugs taking no regard toward us (a relict from the Soviet occupation era). We also consider Austrians as “cold noses”, overlooking us and blaming us for the end of the austro-hungarian empire. The Germans still are accepted with rather negative feelings (wounds from the WW II are still live here).

    Comment by Dave — June 23, 2008 @ 1:40 am

  323. Hi, I am Czech and I have got a comment to this discussion, not to the article above.
    Many here say that Czechs did not resist the Nazi Germany.
    Well, just imagine the possibilities: if you are a 40 million nation like Poles, you can have this luxury of fighting against german tanks on horses or you can have this luxury of declaring the policy not a step back when you are 200 milion Soviet nation. But what to do when you are a 10 million Czech + Slovak nation and you await confrontation with a nation of similar technical level, but 8 – 9 times larger and even fanatical? Especially when all your neighbors are his Allies against you (even Poles).
    I am proud of Czechs who killed One of “top ten” Nazi leaders (Heydrich), I am proud of Prime minister of WW2 Prague czech puppet government, who was unmasked as leader of antinazi underground movement and I am proud of members of prewar Parliament fighting in guerilla forces.
    Of course Poles and mainly Soviets were needed for the victory. I would say nobody in history sacrificed like Russians to fight such evil.
    But I do not feel shame for czech way of thinking.

    And by the way the article is a piece of crap.

    Comment by Jura — June 24, 2008 @ 2:21 am

  324. You´re right Jura. When Munich Agreement was signed by Neville Chamberlain (GB), Édouard Daladier (France), Adolf Hitler (Germany) a Benito Mussolini (Italy) we hadnt many options to defense. Chamberlain with his policy of appeasement which never works sold us to Germans. And French Daladier didnt worry about breaking military alliance with us. M.A. demanded on Czechs to give up their border areas called Sudeten.Key fact in this is that in Sudeten were most of our border defenses and military equipment as well. The only possibility to fight against Hitler was guerilla war or escape from country and fight side by side with R.A.F.

    Comment by Joe.Cole — June 25, 2008 @ 10:33 am

  325. And to the article, I hope nobody gets it seriously. At least half of it isnt true, but I think main purpose of this article is to entertain and it did. American view of Europe will always be out of focus (and vice versa). And I must add:
    - Czech imagination of German is fat stinkin loud guy wearing Bavorian garb :) .
    - Czechs make fun of Slovak because of their nationalistic vein.
    -Czech dont like Gipsies because most of them just get social security benefits and dont work, steal, make mess and noise.
    -Czechs as one of the most atheistic nation in EU dont understand Poles, very small amount of them hate them because they think Poles are bunch of thieves and fakers, but generally theres no hate towards them
    -Czech rather than have a mad on politicans, sportsmen representing their country and failed, politicans and politicans :) make fun of them, but you can also meet attitude of “know-it-all fatheads” who spend all the time by sitting in pubs and talkin about stuff they dont know nothing about but have solutions to all problems of the world.what a pity they dont move their asses and do somethin:).
    =>this reminds me my former P.E. teacher and his advices. Once we took part in basketball tournament and one of my classmate, Adam was really good at it and the teacher really pissed him.

    F.E. he was about to shoot 3-point and the teacher was like: “Dont shoot Adam, OMG!!”, Adam scored and teacher: “Oh yes, great Adam , thats how I like it”

    Comment by Joe.Cole — June 25, 2008 @ 11:23 am

  326. uups sorry for my english, i forgot theres no double negative it should be stuff they know nothing about

    Comment by Joe.Cole — June 25, 2008 @ 11:26 am

  327. [...] Read more Posted by bobak Filed in Psychology [...]

    Pingback by purplemass » Blog Archive » What Europeans think of each other — July 23, 2008 @ 10:36 am

  328. I am actually waiting for the Asian version of this stereotyping.

    Comment by sub — July 27, 2008 @ 3:35 am

  329. sub – so a I! Asians are oddly reticent when it comes to talking about their neighbors. All I can tell is that the richer ones look down on the poorer ones.

    Comment by JM — July 27, 2008 @ 5:34 pm

  330. You f***in moron. You think by living 4 years in Europe and by talking to a few people, you think you can understand the complex relations, that europeans have with each other???

    You’re my internet douchebag of the week!

    Btw, everything you wrote down here are stereotypes!!!! You didn’t realize that? Oh maybe that’s because you’re a conservative blindfolded dumbass american!

    I’m so sick of all the people, who think we germans are villains of europe, never able to laugh or to cook a decent meal! Ah just wastin my fuckin time on you, freak!

    FUCK YOU!

    Comment by ProudGerman — August 8, 2008 @ 7:54 am

  331. It’s only a stereotype until someone like you confirms it. Danke schoen!

    Comment by JM — August 8, 2008 @ 10:23 am

  332. Sweden is looked down upon by other Scandinavians because we, just like England, take after the US so much. And we really do and I totally agree with them even though I’m a Swede. I can’t stand the americanizing. Otherwise it’s like someone else said; we tease eachother like siblings do.

    Comment by David — August 12, 2008 @ 6:28 am

  333. Interesting article and comments.

    As a Brit, I think your remarks about us are pretty much spot on, especially those about Brits living elsewhere in Europe.

    Personally, I’m a big fan of France – a beautiful country, nice people and great food. However, on the world stage, I find them a bit arrogant (but so are the Brits) and generally not team-players.

    I’m also a big fan of Germany. Everything seems to work very well – and on time – but they can be very rigid and a bit stuck in their ways.

    The Dutch are very self-confident and, yes, a little self-righteous, but also very friendly and easy to get along with.

    I think Belgium is all too often overlooked as a country, which is a shame because it has lots to offer and absolutely amazing food (and beer!).

    The Poles that I work with are very polite and have an excellent work ethic. They are also pretty quiet, but give them a drink and it’s a different story!

    The Irish are great fun – a bit mad at times (in a good way) and very likeable.

    The Scandinavians, generally speaking, are either too weird, too serious or too boring (sorry!).

    Comment by Rob UK — August 17, 2008 @ 9:06 am

  334. Agreed about Belgium – underrated. I really like Brussels (although I felt Antwerp was a bit underwhelming).

    Comment by JM — August 19, 2008 @ 5:59 pm

  335. “Poolse Landdag”, an old Dutch saying about a completely disorganised parliament / parliamentary system, also used when confronted with a big meeting of squabbling people who cannot agree about anything.

    The saying is centuries old (stems at least from 19th century) and yep, since the brothers Kaczinsky moved in, the Poles are living up to this expectation again.

    Comment by Peter — August 31, 2008 @ 7:23 am

  336. You missed the Albanians. The most current joke is now:

    “Come travel to Albania, you car has arrived already”

    Comment by Peter — August 31, 2008 @ 8:12 am

  337. Hey there.

    The Poles don’t dislike the Slovakians. They just think they sound funny. Supposedly, Slovakian sounds like a baby form of Polish…..so the Slovakians sound like children.

    Also, lots of the south western Poles dislike the Germans because the past.

    Oddly, Poles pretty much hate all other Poles. I’ll give you an example: In the south west there are two towns next to each other which hate each other because they each used to be in different partitions when Poland was wiped off the map. Crazy!

    Great post!

    Cheers, Tom

    Comment by Tom — September 3, 2008 @ 4:42 am

  338. First, too all those that (typically) call this article “crap” or “bullsit”, and otherwise take offense: you miss the point. Yes these are stereotypes that don’t apply to 95% of the people. Most people are pretty much the same. But it is human nature to focus on perceived group differences. No intelligent person takes them seriously.

    To all the Spaniards: the comment “Spaniards consider themselves white and European, and would be deeply insulted if you suggested they were Latin American of any kind” is not supposed to be read literally, the author was using a literary trick (called “tongue in cheek”) to paint a picture from a different speaker’s viewpoint with the understanding that it’s not true. Poor choice for an international audience, but those of us fluent in English “got it”.

    On the Scandanavian/Nordic issue: thanks for educating us “New Worlders”. The ignorance on this issue is due to our education, we are taught that Finland is a Scandanavian country, and memorize it as such. But I doubt that many ‘peans know the differences between Montana and North Dakota. I suspect that it is somewhat like the Holland/Netherlands issue, those who live there know better, but become tired of trying to educate the ignorant (Americans, usually).

    ==
    Now, on to my contributions to the stereotypes:
    I’m not much of physical world traveler, but:

    Germans: (from 1976) I got yelled at by a German shopkeeper for not saying “hello” when I entered his store. (I’m genetically 100% German, btw)

    I used to work for Finns: Compared to American WASPs (like me), Finns expect each other to do what they say they will do, and don’t tolerate deviation well. Progress reports aren’t expected, final results are. Most are nice, but the few that aren’t, are real jerks. They are real clanish, they will only buy Finnish products, even if those products aren’t the best solution. Their software interfaces are atrocious. The only male Swede that I worked with *was* effiminate, but was a breath of fresh air compared to the Swedes, and the other Swede (a woman) is the only one from that firm that I stay in contact with. She was fun and feisty (and not blonde). I didn’t experience the drunken, knife-wielding, but I worked with white-collar professional sorts, who by the way, would never have lunch with production staff back in Finland but tolerated here in the states, when forced.

    I’ve never met a Pole in person, but deal with hundreds online. Most are (justifiably) bitter about Germans, many of them would love to rewrite history (there’s a whole legion of them on WikiPedia, conducting never-ending edit wars). Between the Germans and the Soviets, they’ve been beaten down forever. They are one of France’s only real friends (due to Napoleon’s brief “liberation”).

    Comment by ContorlsFreak — September 6, 2008 @ 6:24 am

  339. Mmm,

    Scandinavia consists of Norway, Sweden and Denmark

    NORDIC countries, which for the Nordic Union are Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

    Comment by FinnGirl — September 13, 2008 @ 1:49 pm

  340. I’m a Swede and I think that finns only say that we are homos because they have no better insults to come with, you mostly hear such things over the internet, I for one have never met a finn who have dared or even wanted to say that in my face, also I don’t view finns as violent drunkards, mostly maybe because I have finnish friends.

    Comment by Swede — September 15, 2008 @ 1:36 pm

  341. ? ?? ??? ? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?????.

    Comment by Iwasjustpassingby — September 20, 2008 @ 8:05 am

  342. Nice read,
    I am an Albanian, only a couple of comments on us here; by the way the joke about Albania was funny. To a certain extent one has to create some stereotypes, in order to be able to deal with people of different nationalities. I have had the chance to meet Greeks, Macedonians, Turks, Dutch, Spanish, French, English, Poles, Italians (of course). My stereotypes (not necessarily right) are:
    Greeks…too much talk about nothing people, lazy, loud
    Macedonians…wicked but ordered
    Dutch…hard working, smart, not funny people
    Spanish… explorers, loud a bit like the Greek, friendly
    French…wine drinkers, mono-language, strange culture
    English…think the rest of nationalities are crap
    Poles… quiet, non agressive, sometimes meaningless and not funny
    Italians…lazy, mafioso-type (especially south), cook well and make loads of unnecessary gestures
    Albanians…impulsive, hate being fooled, lazy, euphoric

    Comment by Ed — September 29, 2008 @ 7:58 am

  343. As a Finn, I can tell you that the hate of swedish people is mostly just in the southern and western part of Finland. Here in eastern, in russian border, we have a real hate of russians.

    We have here thousands and thousands of joke books full of jokes about swedes, which starts: “There was a Finn, a Norwegian and a Swede…” and the swedish dude always draws the shortest straw.

    Yes, we think that all swedish men are gay and that norwegians are rich, eats fish and burns up churches.
    We don’t have a common opinion of danes and icelanders

    Comment by Sambo — September 29, 2008 @ 11:50 am

  344. [...] What Europeans Think of Each Other [...]

    Pingback by What Europeans Think of Each Other | swirlspice — September 30, 2008 @ 7:18 pm

  345. HOLY CRAP !!
    AN ALBANIAN JUDGES THE GREEKS!
    I’TS LIKE THE PARASITE – A FLEE FOR EXAMBLE -JUDGING IT’S HOST, THE DOG!
    OH, AND… MACEDONIANS?
    WTF IS “MACEDONIANS” ?
    SORRY, NO SUCH THING AS “MACEDONIANS”… MAYBE YOU MEANT “SCOPJIANS” ?
    BUT THEN AGAIN, YOU’RE JUST AN UNEDUCATED IGNORANT LITTLE PRICK, HOW SHOULD YOU KNOW?

    Comment by bob — October 3, 2008 @ 12:57 am

  346. I love learning about all peoples, countries,
    and have some friends in many countries around the world.

    I wish that we can all be kind to one another and learn.

    I have European and Native American heritage.
    My country is the world.

    I run a website where I make earthquake, severe storms and volcano predictions. I care for all people equally.
    I love geography and learn where all the places are in the world.

    It is only through understanding and learning about others we come to know ourselves.

    May all learn to live in peace and help each other.

    Pam

    Comment by Pam — October 18, 2008 @ 2:58 am

  347. As a Serb, it is a bit hard to say anything good or bad about us, after so much propaganda in the last 15 years about us. We as a nation are the most keen on Russians and Greeks, because of strong bonds from thousands years long history. We also respect Germans, as hard workers and honest people. We do not like English, because of lot of troubles they put us in through history. They put us in the war with Hitler only because they wanted to save their own ass for a while. We consider them as cold, polite, and very dishonest. We generally do not hate Croats, as they hate us, but we carry unforgetable wound from the WW2 by killing and torturing millions of Serbs by Croat Ustase under Hitler’s regime and then not getting any responsibilities or punishment for it. We as people are very impulsive, temperamental, honest, warm, unrealistic and sometimes a bit too proud of ourselves. We are also very disappointed about the whole injustice on our nation caused by USA and their EU followers only becaues of some big geo-political games, but we forgive everything as we know that God will have the final word :-( (

    Comment by Serbgirl — October 20, 2008 @ 8:04 am

  348. I’ve visited Europe 3 times and am still amazed how openly racist people are. I mean, this website is for a bit of amusement but if it was around in 1935 we’d probably be laughing about how the Germans don’t like the Jews!!!
    I live in Melbourne, Australia; my country certainly isn’t perfect as far as prejudices go, but I know we’re a lot less tolerant of racists and bigots than in Europe. I’ve had the good fortune to teach in schools in Western Melbourne where there is a high migrant population, up to 50/60 different nationalities in a school. And you know, when 1 or 2 racial groups dont dominate in a school, race almost ceases to be an issue.
    Another thing; my ancestors came to Australia about 130 years ago, but many Europeans couldn’t accept that I was ‘Australian.’ I was British, Cornish or Irish because my ancestors were from there!!

    Comment by Matt — October 22, 2008 @ 5:21 am

  349. Brilliant piece here. I myself am British.

    The worst thing about peoples opinion on the UK is its mostly based on the snotty uptight rich snobby wanker unbelievable useless politicians who for some reason run this country due to a rigged voting system for the past 100years or so. OR the drunk loutish people who seem to roam our streets or everyone else’s street plastered causing havok!

    I admire the rebuild start a fresh attitude of most Europeans. unlike Britain rebuild the old ways bollocks

    true to the fact we don’t like being called Europeans.

    we love to winge about how crap everything is but who doesn’t? its good for the soul well kinda.

    One statement in particular that we all love Americans is a load of crap. we hate them and we hate our government who seem to endlessly bend over and take it from the USA.
    As I said above we don’t like being called Europeans but we would rather be that than the USA’s lap dog.

    [Ed: Reread my post. I make it clear the Brits hate everyone, esp Americans. Anyone who's spent any reasonable amount of time with Brits knows them to be misanthropes.]

    Comment by Max Williams — October 23, 2008 @ 3:45 am

  350. Hi!
    After reading most of the article and some of the replies esp about Poland and Poles (since I’m one)
    I’d like agree that some of the antagonisms really exists but I don’t won’t to focus on them becouse it’s in my opinion pointless and serves no purpose. I’d like to however to turn your attention towords the element of friendship between countries and nations. I’m sure one of them exists and should definitelly be practiced more; it’s the nobel idea of firendship between Hungary and Poland (as Matt already mentioned).

    Polish and Hungarian people to some extent I believe are aware of it but to other of You – who would like to know more – I suggest to google “Pole, Hungarian, two good friends” and you’ll see an interesting article about it in Wikipedia”. Excert from the article about already metioned proverb “Pole, Hungarian, two good friends” might be a “bait” for You to read it entirely:

    “The full Hungarian text of the proverb often recited during drinking is „Lengyel, magyar két jóbarát, együtt harcol s issza borát,” that is „Polish, Hungarian (are) two good friends, they fight and drink their wine together”.

    The Polish version: „Polak, W?gier, dwa bratanki, i do szabli, i do szklanki,” translates to „Polish, Hungarian (are) two brothers, both for saber, and for (drinking) glass”. (full text: Wenger Polák dwa bratanki/Ido Szabli ido szklanki/Oba zukhi oba zsvavi/Nekh ikh Pan Bog blogoslawi)”

    No other similar widespread bilingual proverb exists about the mutual relations of two nations.”

    …Or does it?

    I don’t know which countries are expecially fond of each other but after watching couple of ‘infamous” eurovision contests I’ll noticed that some countries repeatedly vote for each other and regardless of the artist’s performance they give highest notes almost every time.

    Such tendecies I’ve observed comply to countries like:
    Finland – Estonia
    Turkey – Azerbaijan
    Grece – Armenia

    So if anyone of you knows about some special friendly relations between two countries I’d be eager to find out.

    Comment by Dan Geruss — October 24, 2008 @ 4:08 pm

  351. Hi! :)
    I’m Portuguese and I would just like to sort some things out here.

    Yes, we do have a long story of competiton with the spanish dating back to the discovery times and lots of portuguese dislike the spanish. But not everyone thinks like this. Lots of people think of them as “nuestros hermanos” (our brothers) and like them.

    The only thing that bugs us is that even though our languages are much alike, when a portuguese is in Spain he will always do whatever is possible to be understood by them, but when in Portugal, the spanish always refuse to try and understand our language. Either we speak spanish or they won’t understand what we say. (even if they do, they will say they don’t)

    PS: I know not eveyone is like this and there are exceptions, but my experience tells me that this is what happens.

    Comment by Luísa — October 26, 2008 @ 3:19 pm

  352. Here’s my take on what Croatians generally think of other Europeans….
    Serbians – hated by the extreme nationalists (who perceive them as genocidal tribal illiterate primitive brutes). Surprisingly, admired by many (mostly urban/leftists) who marvel at their lack of “inferiority complex” and a very, very relaxed attitude about their “balkan mentality” (unlike croatians, they haven’t been brainwashed into thinking they’re part of the civilized, clean, cultured “Mitteleuropa” and that all things balkan are basically filth). Serbian literature, movies and (especially) music are extremely popular and generally considered to be vastly superior to croatian home-grown, ahem…culture.
    Slovenians – viewed as cold, stuck-up, arrogant (not even remotely true, in my experience). Probably even more unpopular than the Serbs these days – Slovenia-bashing seems to be the growing trend. It’s mostly jealousy (they’re miles ahead of us in terms of economy, social order, etc) with a bit of blind nationalism and propaganda thrown in.
    Bosnians – backward, primitive, daft (by far the most popular joke-materials) .
    Macedonians – their existence is mostly ignored, but the few people who have actually been there said that they’re the nicest folks in the world :)
    Hungarians – even though we shared many centuries of common history with our northern neighbour, nobody seems to have anything to say about Hungary these days. The language barrier is too strong, probably. Oh, a lot of people have said nice things about Budapest (amazing city) and Hungarian women (hot and…..easy? apparently)
    Germans and Austrians are generally perceived as “our friends”, for various reasons : our inferiority complex, Austro-Hungarian empire, hundreds of thousands of Croatian guest-workers (gastarbeiten) making a living in Germany in the 80s, both countries being among the first who recognized our independence. I dunno, it’s weird, they’re generally respected and thought of being on “our side” (I’m sure they couldn’t care less), but anyone who’s been there or lived there always points out how cold, unfriendly and individualistic they are.
    English : arrogant bullish snobs. Some people, e.g. my father, seem to hold the English solely responsible for all the “tragedies” of Croatian nation throughout history. Doesn’t matter what it is, there’s always an English connection.
    British sitcoms/comedies are extremely popular though, especially Allo Allo and Mr. Bean.
    Italians : 2 opposite stereotypes : 1) warm, handsome, pretty, good looking, cute, beautiful language, blah blah blah (this is a more common opinion) 2) dirty, smelly Gypsies /racist Nazis (bizarre, I know, but this is what some people actually think. In my experience, they’re very similar to us, especially the South)

    Comment by StidljivaLjubicica — October 27, 2008 @ 11:48 am

  353. Romanians love everybody on the account of taking all the gipsies :D
    ( well… not all of them … yet! they’re still rolling )

    Romanians hate the Hungarians because they didn’t get enough gipsies … apparently they have more than enough of their own.

    Comment by Cosmin L. Neagu — October 28, 2008 @ 2:11 am

  354. There are extremists both in Hungary and Romania who hate the others, but it’s not a “feature”. Most of the population (in both countries) doesn’t have anything against the other people.
    However Romanians have something against the Russians for 50 years of communism… That’s not easy to forget.
    Romanians also doubt the cerebral activity of those who label Romanians as Gypsies.

    Comment by Xan — October 29, 2008 @ 7:24 am

  355. This is great read, I’m from Belgium and mostly evrything is spot on! one thing was forgotten though, in Belgium we believe that every other country has horrible beer. many belgians who are proud of their beer would say “I’d rather drink water from a toilet boil then drink (insert foreign beer brand)”

    Comment by Yan — October 29, 2008 @ 10:46 am

  356. I’m Bulgarian. We are quite perky people able to be part in any given society in the western Europe, and the western world for that matter. Gypsies are quite a problem in Bulgaria as they are a developing minority often associated with small time scams and thievery. However there are a lot of decent people amongst Bulgarian gypsies.

    Regarding the Romanians, I’ve been there. They are are developing better than us in some fields and their infrastructure is better around the capital. International roads nearby Danube are low maintained and when you enter Romania from Hungary and try to pass the Carpathians you will have to watch out about your car as the road is in a very poor state. At 3 a.m. in the morning it is common to see people walking between villages, sometimes even young women with their children. However I’m left with the impression that young people are more likely to find good jobs there.

    Not much is said about out neighbors – the Macedonians. I went there a while ago. It felt like Narnia – people playing a game of “Country”. All they need is a talking lion. They still believe that they are the remains of the once strong Macedonian Empire. In modern times when even wars waged not more than 60 years ago are now not a reason for two nations not to cooperate for mutual benefit, it is just simply immature to beat yourself in the chest and argue with the world that everything they have they owe to you. Young Macedonians don’t think that way. I had the pleasure to be in their company .

    We just try to be a part of the world.

    Comment by Svetoslav — October 30, 2008 @ 9:49 am

  357. Some historical adjustments

    1) Hitler WAS born in Austria (like it or not) – Braunau
    Ey, where did Haider come from again? Finally he got the right curve…

    2) The Roma (or better “Sinti”) AREN´t Romanians, this is a popular but wrong misunderstanding. They have a long history in Europe, coming from far east (India?), centuries ago, and are a separate people group. They were hunted and humiliated almost like the jewish over lng time in history. Historically, they life from artcraft, music, show, and, yes, begging. They had a strong line into France, and one of th biggest populations today lives in Germany (~60k). They have – very unique – no country, but their own legislation, culture, language, etc.
    And yet, there are some very poor Romanians begging in western Europe.

    Comment by History — October 31, 2008 @ 8:20 am

  358. Its funny because I’m from Nothern Ireland. When I’m on holiday no-one really acknowledges that I’m Northern Irish. We may be part of the UK but we are our own country, we even have our own fry if that counts for anything. We’re either English or Irish so I just pretend I’m Irish because everyone loves the Irish. If you say you’re English they tend to think you’re just a drunk and should be wearing a football top of some kind.

    Comment by Shana — November 3, 2008 @ 11:04 am

  359. Cant Believe there is so much disliking present in the days of globalization…..come on ppl …

    Comment by game — November 3, 2008 @ 8:48 pm

  360. Funny !
    disagree with most of it, but still… should just be read for fun

    Comment by funroyal — November 4, 2008 @ 8:42 am

  361. I’m Belgian, and I don’t hate Dutch people, but the can act stupid. I noticed in Amsterdam they began to speak English immediately, when I spoke to them in Dutch, maybe because we have a slight accent. The strange thing is, we both speak Dutch, but still we don’t know a lot about eachother. The Dutch are ignorant for what’s happening in Belgium, I guess.
    Belgians are proud for surviving the World War’s, certainly the first WW is considered as a heroic and brave war, while our influence was not that large.

    Comment by desed — November 4, 2008 @ 10:17 am

  362. As a Swede, I’m getting FUCKING tired of all the hate from Finland. They always mock us and make fun of us – for no apperent reason.

    The Norwegians are seen as another part of Sweden, we can communicate well with eachother. We are a little jelous of them because they have their stupid oil.

    The danes are loved but their language seems like a joke, and therefore we joke about it alot.

    Germany is seen as a great country, Europe’s “super-power” with incredible industrial strength.

    Finns are ridiculed for their language which sounds NOTHING like the other nordic countries. Otherwise they’re seen as our brothers, or even closer, seeing sa it was another part of seden for 637 years.

    Comment by babidiboopi — November 6, 2008 @ 10:34 am

  363. Despite bitching about the swiss being stuck-up, I know more very kind and charming people from Switzerland than many other countries.
    I’ve been to many different european countries, and have met a lot of different people there. In the time I went travelling across Switzerland, I met a whole bunch of different types of people. While in central Switzerland the stereotype does match a lot of times, in the other parts, like Basel, Lausanne, Ticino or Chur, the people were very friendly and charming!

    I think of all stereotypes brought in this article (which is great btw!) the one about the swiss being stiff and rude does match the least.

    I’ll bet a lot of people have experienced this.

    Comment by Vdt — November 11, 2008 @ 4:17 pm

  364. Que giro, favelados a dizerem que os Portugueses têm inveja do Brasil… só mesmo para rir. Alguma vez temos inveja de uma cambada de favelados que nem sabem que são os pais? (pergunta retórica, escusam de responder.)

    The portugueses, doesn’t hate the spanish, just some atitudes. For example when we are in Spain and we try to speak with the spanish they say “No comprendo!” (despite the fact that they do understand us), while the portuguese try to understand them. The portuguese have to answer to them by gestures because they never understand portuguese, portunhol (spanish with portuguese) or even english.

    Best regards.

    Comment by anti-favelado — November 14, 2008 @ 6:07 pm

  365. Having lived in Germany for over 20 years, I can only say that luckily the majority of people here don’t bother to spend that much time hating everybody else. There are a lot of harmless jokes, obviously, but I rarely met anybody who took them seriously, even though after reading the comments, you can only draw the conclusion that Europe is full of people who resent each other for various stupid reasons (which get weirder the further you read).

    Still, it was funny seeing all these guys pop up, claiming they speak for an entire country and providing all those obscure explanations for stereotypes most people probably have never even heard of. But of course something always seems to fit, like with a horoscope. And it always fun to explain the intricacies of your culture and country to a foreigner, even if you’re just making it all up on the spot, right?

    Also, kind of sad that most posters could only come up with negative stereotypes.

    Oh, sure, X hates Y because they’re all stuck-up. Also, Y thinks of Z as backwards. Z doesn’t bother to learn foreign languages and also has a healthy dislike for X. Probably because of THE WAR. And don’t you ever dare calling X an Y, except you’re ready for a fight until death. Europe really is serious business.

    Comment by Richard — November 20, 2008 @ 4:24 am

  366. Portuguese people don´t hate the Spanish. If they are arrogant with us, we are ironical with them. We tend to be more introspective and melancholic. Fado expresses that quite well.

    Comment by Miguel — December 5, 2008 @ 7:52 pm

  367. First off, this seems very ignorant and American.

    The Poles love jokes about the Germans.

    Also the British and Spanish both dislike each other. So do the Brits and the Greeks.

    Comment by Ian, UK — December 30, 2008 @ 8:50 am

  368. Ian: Thank you for proving my point about the Brits (you hate Americans, and just about everyone else)
    As for the bit about Poles and German jokes: have you lived in Poland? Are the Poles you’re talking about actually Polish, or are they Brits of Polish extraction? I lived in Poland for a couple of years, befriended countless Poles, and never heard a single German joke (heard plenty about other nationalities, though).

    Comment by JM — December 30, 2008 @ 5:06 pm

  369. As a German who has been living “abroad” in the Czech Republic for some years, I’ve got a few things to share.

    Prague is almost an entirely different country when compared to the rest of CZ. Those from Prague are widely regarded as rude, crazy drivers, snobs, and they have silly accents. (The difference between a Czech who has lived in Prague and one who hasn’t is enormous!)

    Not to mention Czechs have a horrible habit of being passive-aggressive, and will blatantly lie to you about almost anything. Though I’ve got to say, they’ve got great beer, and a friend will near always share a bit of their “garden” with you. ;)

    Comment by rados — January 4, 2009 @ 10:46 am

  370. I love this forum, I roll on the floor gasping for air with laughter at some of the entries lol :)

    Anyway this below is in Finland the common conception of the Swedish male :

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leRsWGF3mSc&feature=related

    Comment by Freathinker2308 — January 9, 2009 @ 7:50 pm

  371. [QUOTE ContorlsFreak, on September 6th, 2008 at 6:24 am Said:] On the Scandanavian/Nordic issue: thanks for educating us “New Worlders”. The ignorance on this issue is due to our education, we are taught that Finland is a Scandanavian country, and memorize it as such. [/QUOTE]

    I wouldn´t worry too much about that if I were you lol ;)
    What you have been taught is not too off the truth. On this forum we obviously have a lot of hobbyroom geographers and ethnologists who let their personal emotions cloud the issue. Here is how Wikipedia describes Scandinavia:

    Scandinavia is a historical and geographical region in northern Europe that includes the Scandinavian Peninsula. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark;some authorities also include the nations of Finland and some might even include Iceland.
    Regardless of how the term Scandinavia is used outside the region, the terms Nordic countries and Nordic region are used officially and unambiguously to identify the nations of Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, the Danish territory of the Faroe Islands, and the Finnish territory of Åland as politically and culturally similar entities. “Scandinavia” is a common reference to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, but also includes Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia

    The Encyclopedia Britannica views it like this:

    part of northern Europe, generally held to consist of the two countries of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Norway and Sweden, with the addition of Denmark. Some authorities argue for the inclusion of Finland on geologic and economic grounds and of Iceland and the Faroe Islands on the grounds that their inhabitants speak North Germanic (or Scandinavian) languages related to those of Norway and Sweden.
    http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/526461/Scandinavia

    Even though Finnish is not a Scandinavian language, culturally and historically it has very close ties to Sweden, Norway and Denmark making it notably Scandinavian.

    Comment by Freathinker2308 — January 10, 2009 @ 11:18 am

  372. hi i am from berlin germany but both my parents are irish. i agree with you in some ways and it saddens me. for most other europeans view ireland is just a small isolated country, maby as you said humble people.

    the thing is irish did move to mainland europe but they integrated much more like irish in mexico and argentina.

    a good proportion will know at least something to do with the problems in the north-for example massive protest was held in paris when bobby sands died in 1981.

    many teenage spaniards visit ireland each year and have done since the 1970′s seeing as spanish parents would rather send their children to catholic ireland rather than protestant britian to learn english.

    i don’t know really, i would prefer if europeans would have better understanding of each other.

    Comment by conor — January 14, 2009 @ 5:27 pm

  373. I think you are all nuts! All genetically the same but culturally think you are better than the next. Think of yourselves as all equally fucked up people who dislike others because they thing you suck in return. As for what divides countries war and other bullshit, wars never end they just move around and evolve. So today the large countries fight economically/politically etc. and the small weak ones get blown up. By the way the same ass holes who cause the shit in the world wars ect still here fuck ups!!!!

    Get along kids!

    Comment by Peter — January 24, 2009 @ 11:05 pm

  374. Just wanted to say to that pathetic piece of shit bob (which he thinks he is Greek but he actually is a stupid lazy never-showered gipsy) to shut the fuck up.

    Comment by Albanian — February 4, 2009 @ 1:43 am

  375. I’m Polish American teen (though I’m also Irish German Scottish Polish by heritage-wise) and just wanted to give a bit of insight on the Polish views. I have visited Poland several times, most recent being last month. I personally dislike Germans, and find the Czechs annoying; the Russians for me is a hate/love relationship especially because of past with Soviet Union (dislike); however there is a strange closeness with the country via of language and culture (kinship).

    From what I observed from Polish friends and family, Polish people tend to now (due to E.U.) go to Ireland and U.K. and find it very charming. Many Polaks (thats right, we are not offended by the term whatsoever) prefer the British Isles than the countries surrounding them. they also seem to fond of France and it’s chicness. It used to all about Germany, but now a days Germany it treated as oblivious. A Polish woman I know, whose used to live in Germany for a couple of years, found the Germans to be quite dull and devoid of any vigor really. She frankly told me that she was so happy to living back in Poland where everybody is so much more cheerful and outgoing. Another Polish man told me that German cuisine is quite awful, and that Germans actually prefer eating Polish cooking when compared to their own. But lastly I want to state that there is a split view towards Germany and Poland. Polish people thoroughly distaste Germany’s past (WWII) but for some reason don’t show much animosity towards the post WWII Germany (indifference). I find that strange since I’m a bit prejudice myself against Germany and its culture.

    Also Polish people tend to be very proud and cheerful of their country. They’re in no way introvert. They are very ambitious, and with the country becoming part of the European Union, Polish people are ready to go explore and experience other cultures.

    By the way: I am in no way saying that the ANY of the countries I mentioned are any better than anyone others. This is just from what I see, hear, and know and are not intended to disrespect anyone. And I find it really insulting that some other posters out there think they’re hot shit when frankly they’re assholes with an overinflated ego. This was meant to show and explore how others see each other, and if you keep portraying yourself like a complete douchebag, you are only hurting your own image and your own heritage/nationality. You really REPRESENTING yourself poorly.

    Comment by Ala — February 4, 2009 @ 12:56 pm

  376. Search Entropa by David Czerny. Probably it can give a few more stereotypes on how Europeans think of each other…in the Czech point-of-view.

    Comment by Alberto — February 10, 2009 @ 6:14 am

  377. if you dont like the english dont speak english and that includes the irish who hate us because of the famine

    Comment by jw — February 10, 2009 @ 4:34 pm

  378. what abt romania? or isnt romania in europe? and hungary too… :D

    Comment by romania — February 13, 2009 @ 4:51 am

  379. I’ve visited Netherlands, Belguim, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, and Hungary.
    I agree that the poles are incredibly inert, self contained and don’t exhibit any of the snob nonsense observed in the UK (Which by the way has an average IQ score well below that of their european counterparts including Poland).
    Polish food is healthy, limited and tasty, czech food similarly is german in character with a few beverages typical of the czechslovak past.
    Hungarian food surprisingly is much varied, mostly western by standards. French food is tempting if a little over the pricey side. And netherland have some of the cuisines typical of german sausage but advertised as dutch with influences from belguim and france. Sweet food might I also add in belguim/netherlands is also influenced in the UK. Sausage and cheese less so and not a popular import from both sides.

    The UK is a small, lousy smelly country which is influenced by the capital in which all towns and cities are routed towards.
    No real culture, appaling manners, popular crime resort, a mass of immigrants who arrive and instantly gain UK citizenship, lousy southern snobbish behaviour characterised by those that have little to show. I’m unsure of the motive behind what is driving the UK. Sadly the capital is all that the UK has to show, an overly populated area dense in pollution with little character and high living costs.

    Indeed an appalling country to be apart of, and would instantly work longer hours and less pay in another country with decent people.

    Comment by James — February 13, 2009 @ 9:27 am

  380. To Romania! :) The only experience I ever had with someone from Romania is the woman who used to cut my hair. She was very professional and nice and have to say gutsy too as she hardly even spoke the local tongue, yet had the courage to start her own saloon. Furthermore she didn’t succumb to threats from local competition, not even after someone one night trashed her shop. A very remarkable woman. I don’t have that much to say about Hungarians either, the few I have met here in Sweden and abroad have been good friendly people. Swedes are a timid people that rarely openly admit disliking anyone, however, due to failed immigration policies, the country has received half a million Muslims and the misconduct of many of them evokes anger and disgust. Studies show that Arabs and people of the Islamic faith in general, with the Romany (Gypsy) are the most undesired groups of people in the country. The differences expressed by the Swedes, Finns, Danes and Norwegians is nothing more than brotherly bickering.

    Comment by Tux 08 — February 21, 2009 @ 9:39 am

  381. By the way, thanks for the interesting article! I read it with a smile as I did the replies from various other readers. ;)

    Comment by Tux 08 — February 21, 2009 @ 9:58 am

  382. well, as a turk, i don’t have the slightest feeling of belonging Europe and this EU relations piece of crap. but relations with Europe are unavoidable due historical reasons. Now put the “Europe” beside, we only hate England( England is a part of europe here for us) for being the reason of every evil all around the world and contrary to the general perceptions, using americans for their issues. to french people, we just share the common feelings with every other nations against them. and French people should not worry for their peasants because we are not joining EU. Germans, we like them after all because they are honest people and absolutely not “more” racists than other countries (i know how they feel about my people). we feel nothing about scandinawians, they dont seem to have feelings after all. South Europe? es geht. they are lively. we do Not hate greeks or Armenians, simply we do not care about them. (this is plausible, because we used to be a main historical figure in the last thousand years and had sovereignty over them, they may have the reason to hate us, we don’t). Balkan countries, same with greeks. now, we respect russians when they are sober. America is not wellcomed in any single corner in this country, obvious reasons no need to explain.

    Comment by mha — February 25, 2009 @ 2:07 pm

  383. lol.. oh, i’m Greek allright.. but i would rather be a stupid lazy never-showered gipsy than a drug dealer-child molestor- albanian scumbag!!
    Go ask the French-Italians-Germans or anyone who had the “pleasure” of having you albanians lowlifes in their countries.. they’ll tell you the same thing…
    Now shut your pie hole and get back to work.. those ATM’s won’t rob themselves!

    Comment by bob — February 26, 2009 @ 9:49 pm

  384. Very good post, close to the mark and it is funny to hear an \outsiders\ opinion…

    Comment by r10t3r — March 10, 2009 @ 7:53 am

  385. This has been a wonderful read.

    It is particularly amusing to hear how incredibly “American” this piece is by a few posts, then have its conclusions completely confirmed by the next 12 posts.

    Comment by Rodolfo — March 19, 2009 @ 9:51 am

  386. This is what swedes tend to think about other europeans.

    Germany: “Haben flaben deutcschen sterben, hitler hitler hitler”
    Very strict and disciplinarian in a more effective way then the sometimes selfloathing swedes. Terrible tourists, just like us.

    Norwegian: Something like ike in south park, our retarded little brother that can´t speak properly. we also think they are lazy ex-heathens who just happened to luck out on the oil that made them rich. In turn they resent us for our actions during WWWII, and us forcing a union between sweden and norway.

    Denmark: Slightly older brother that speaks a form of gibberish that vaguely resembles Swedish. We also think they´re racist, hate us more then we hate them and have red noses. This in turn is attributed to their perceived constant drunkenness.

    Finns: Friends and enemy´s. We have closer ties with them then with either norwegians or danes, and despite the fact our languages arent even slighlty related we are genetically the closest to them. some resentment due to historical occupations, although numerous swedes fought in the Finnish-Russian war.

    Russia: Pretty much the same view as americans, cold, grey, vodka, stalin, communism. Historical enemy´s.

    Poles: Poor, but hard workers although a bit sketchy.
    Considered pale, and thin.

    The chzech republic, hungary, austria, slovakia, romania, bulgaria, etc: little or no data.

    Balkans: No man´´s land, although since the immigration of ex-yugoslavian refugees we´´re pretty sure who hates who by now. Serbs hate everybody, everybody hates Serbs, and Albanians pretty much just love themselves

    Greece: Good food, good weather and hairy, beach prowling casanovas. Sometimes considered inferior although they found what much or most of our civilization is based on.

    Italia: same as the greece, with the addition of wine. Also, scooters and mother issues.

    Spain: Lazy and funloving, love football. Not much else register.

    Comment by J — March 21, 2009 @ 6:14 pm

  387. I didn’t see many americans posting so i thought i might add a little American perspective. This is what America knows about Europe.

    Germany: BMW, David Hasslehoff, Hitler. The end.

    Russia: Communism and Karl Marx, not huge on smiling, but plenty of snow and sexy bitches

    Franch: sounds like ranch.

    Greece: Socrates, 300(?), they have big, fat weddings.

    Italy: my best friend is this big fat italian bitch and i’m not even gonna go into what i know about italy cause its probably a pack of filthy lies.
    but also, the mob and delicious food.

    Norway: possibly like Sweden.

    Spain: they get to sleep in the middle of the day and i heard they drink a lot which makes them o.k. fine by me.

    Poland: invaded by David Hasslehoff in 1945, possibly also like sweden.

    Czech Republic: supposedly, there is a great mexican restaurant run by a dude from San Diego somewhere in Prague, probably worth a visit.

    Denmark: ? dams? maybe the netherlands? no holland is the netherlands…

    Netherlands: sounds like a name for a crotch, legal weed and shrooms, possibly best place in Europe.

    Belgium: waffles

    Romania: near Transylvania

    Austria: Arnold Schwarzenegger

    Switzerland: neutral, chocolate, makers of K-Swiss

    Britain: not a part of Europe

    To those who equate ignorance and American-ness. Should i point out the irony of generalizing a group of people as ignorant?

    Comment by Theo — March 28, 2009 @ 6:15 pm

  388. the greeks and the italians have very high regard for each other. when a greek meets an italian (or vice versa) the common greeting is \una fazza una razza\, or \one face, one race\, meaning that the greeks and the italians are one of a kind–that they share ancestry and history. they’re VERY friendly toward one another.

    Comment by nicole — April 7, 2009 @ 4:20 pm

  389. Ukranians and Russians think Italians are greasy, lying, cheating, short and nasty type, predominately the males.

    Comment by tats — April 16, 2009 @ 11:52 pm

  390. TO THEO

    Ohhh, wow, I am American, and how to stupefy the Americans 101 by Theo. You are a bit harsh, but also wrong, Transilvania is a town in Romania not next to. Making it seem like Americans are that ignorant is harsh.

    Comment by tats — April 16, 2009 @ 11:59 pm

  391. Portuguese point of view here as some asked

    Ourselves: We consider us as pessimistic, tragic dramas, melancholic, smarter than the others in the way to solve things by imaginative and impressing last minute methods (not the most technical one), (a little like the Russians space stations thing…), to cheat is not bad in the moral point of view it’s sometimes a compliment.
    The Spanish: We hate them, even who says no is just denying to irritate another Portuguese, usual considered as unclassed persons, loudly, rude and uglier (that is funny because we are physically identical, but every man will try to hide they had a Spanish girlfriend because it will score negative points in the sexual reputation). Oh, and we feel more intelligent as we speak 4 languages and them just 1, but in other hand I think they think it’s a sign of weakness of our mother tongue. Special exception: Galicia, the region is considered by us (not by them) half Portuguese so many look to it with sympathy.
    The English: Special relation here, we have a kind of adoration/hate. It seems important for us their recognition. Their approval seems when a father watches a show of his son. We have a legendary sentence “build to the English look!”. In the other hand we consider them a bunch of hooligans for the men and easy going (in bad sense), and unclassy for the women.
    The Italians: Welcome home! If there is a country the Portuguese indentify themselves and like to be compared with, is Italy. We think they have a way of life similar to us with the difference that they are happier. If we find an Italian outside of country we tend to look at him as he was from the same country sometimes.
    The Germans: We dislike Germans and no reason at all for that, our history never had a special contact. But we have the image they are all psychopaths racists.
    The French: Neutral. As all around we have an image of arrogance from there but we admire their culture. Some of their costumes were copied here.
    Americans: Neutral in feelings but Naif, stupid, and dozens of negative adjectives. A common Portuguese have an idea that it’s impossible to argue with them because they don’t understand “things”.
    Brazilians: Someone said we feel inferior to them (I don’t believe you went already to Portugal), that is the opposite and maybe the worse part of the Portuguese spirit. We feel the superiority of colonial era and racial too (90% of Brazilians don’t share our genes), they live in high number in Portugal and there are the general opinion that they are less capable or less intelligent. Many say they only know to Samba and to play football, the rest it’s better to leave for the others. We know that their jokes are about us too in Brazil but that is viewed how we were very important for them. But my opinion: They are simply cool, probably the happiest population on earth, they’re contagious.

    Stereotypes have at the end no sense at all. Exist all kind of persons in every country in the world that’s what I know:)

    Comment by Ricardo M. — April 27, 2009 @ 3:55 am

  392. “Or the Danish way, which is literally impossible to put down here”
    When I was in København, my hosts said the easiest way to was to think “coo-ben-haven”.
    I may be too forward, and my Danish hosts too polite, but that pronunciation seems to have worked well in my travels.

    Take care

    Comment by Joseph — May 1, 2009 @ 12:11 pm

  393. Italians (northerners and southerners) are united in their hate of Romanians and all things related to Romania. It is a commonly held belief among Italians that Romanians are responsible for everything that is wrong in Italy–crime, unemployment, illegal immigration, and the likes. My grandparents are 100% Italian and 100% hate Romania and Romanians.

    Comment by Carmine — June 2, 2009 @ 3:04 am

  394. Honestly, I’m very surprised that this post hasn’t ended in a massive flame war… shock horror could it be that Europeans generally get along quite well together. I think in the last 20 years a lot has changed in europe and the stuff in this article is a bit out of date. It is still a funny read.

    As an English person I think we definitely have an ingrained ‘dislike’ of the french but its not like we take it in a serious or bitter way its just a bit of banter with a country that we have been involved in a huge amount of wars with (even wars by proxy around the world back before America was ‘born’). Of course knowing the French they probably take it far more seriously haha.

    I think English people respect the germans and dutch mostly because we are more similar than people from outside of europe would imagine. The German’s are seen as efficient and yes we do like to make jokes about the war. I think we are perceived as arrogant with a drunken violent sub culture because of holiday makers and the whole empire thing

    Comment by Colm — June 7, 2009 @ 6:01 am

  395. I’m French and i must admit you are spot on, but these are more some underlying stereotypes than real antagonism.

    A quick rule of thumb about us, french people, our respect for a nation seems to be unconsciously tied to the quality of their food. (surprise).

    For the countries with which we share a border, its more complicated than that.

    We love Belgians , we are tremendous friends, but we like to joke about and with them (same goes for Quebec by the way).

    Italians are tricky, we like the culture but we look down on them as being lazy effeminate show offs who are in love with their mama (which is a-ok, we are in love with their mama too, and the sisters, daughters… you catch my drift, hard feelings are located elsewhere towards Italian women *wink* *wink*).

    Its strange but we do not have problems with Germans beside the conventional clichés, perhaps because they are not our historical enemies.

    Which brings us to Brits… True enemies of France. They are everything we don’t want to be. But they tend to hate us while we only have a mild disrespect for them.

    Well, I could go on and on…

    Comment by jipi — June 8, 2009 @ 11:05 pm

  396. I am European and I hate 98% of all European, they’re dumbass retrograde, masochistic, small thinking people thinking about their little town or neighbourhood and disergarding anything else. no sense of adventure, would return to the dark ages if they could!!!!

    America come and save us!!!!!!!!! You are not perfect (see Bush and followers) but at least you are thinking of the future, and don;t have this “we’re born to suffer” stupid ancestral way of feeling not just of thinking that most europeans have!!! I am disgusted and deeply ashamed to have been born here

    Comment by lori — June 28, 2009 @ 8:11 am

  397. I am Swedish so here’s my point of view:

    Everyone in Scandinavia hates us, except for maybe Norway. There’s a lot of jokes in Sweden about Norway, and they have a lot of jokes about us, so there’s basically just some sibling teasing between us.
    We have this view of Finns as violent, alcoholic brutes who live in the woods and sit in saunas all day, and they see us as effeminate alcoholic pussies. Swedish men aren’t considered to be ‘real’ men.
    We see Danes as backwards and racist, and they’re probably still bitter about the fact that we stole a big part of Denmark (Skåne) back in the days, and made it ours. Stockholm (the capital city) doesn’t like Skåne because we think they’re backwards and racist, and we want to give it back to Denmark. People in Skåne generally hates us in return because we make fun of the way they speak. Actually, Stockholm is also hated by most Swedes who don’t live there.
    We’re kinda like the British when we go to tourist traps – loud and obnoxious drunks, only we’re not polite when sober either.
    We’re also considered pussies because we let the Germans walk right through us during WW2 to occupy Norway (Strangely the Norweigans aren’t bitter at us because of that).
    Iceland thinks of themselves as the best country in the world, and the rest of Europe thinks they are exotic, mysterious, beautiful and quirky.

    Comment by Linnéa N. — June 29, 2009 @ 3:28 am

  398. Well i am from Sweden and i can really say that as i see noone mentioned the Balkans we are pretty much ignoring Eastern countries of Europe,Serbs and Croats are getting better along and they are very close to join the EU,they hated everyone but lately they are getting along with other countries so i say we should include eastern countries in our system they are very much of europeans,as for the western countries i think everyone knows what do swedish think of them ;)

    Comment by Sebastian — July 1, 2009 @ 4:22 am

  399. I will try to describe Czech point of “view”. Take it with fun and benevolence. Generally, we see all other post communist countries in two cathegories: first – younger, less developed, brothers, and second – monkeys. We hate to be called “eastern Europe”, because we were soooo developed before WW2, because we are soooo cultural and because – in fact – we are geographically more werstern than Austria for example.

    And now for the countries:

    Slovakia – our younger brothers. We love them, but we make fun of them because of their religiosity and nacionalism. We don’t understand why they have left us, why they left so clever and developed older brothers.

    Poland – our younger, but bigger brothers. It is only post communist country we have some respect for them, because their country is so large, they are not landlocked and their history is almost so great as ours. Sometimes we say they are fakers, we also make fun of their religiosity, but there is no hate, I think most of Czechs like them.

    German – well, I think Germany is the most close country in cultural and historical sense, in good or in bad. We can’t forgive them Munich agreement and WW2, we make fun of their obedience to authorities, we see them rude, but we also respect them because of their great industry, cars and highways with no speed limit. And in our dark subconscious we are proud that Nazi politics considered Czechs applicable for germanisation, not like other Slavic nations.

    Austria – we hate them, because their are laughable snobs in leather breeches, they are still post Nazis, most of guards in concentration camps were Austrians, Hitler was Austrian, because they hate us and underrate us, because they are manipulated idiots blocking our borders in anti nuclear energy protest (what is true) and because they throw garbare through our borders (what is also sad, but true).

    Hungary – we don’t know them much. We know our Slovakian brother doesn’t like them, but why? We see Hungarians as funny monkeys with moustache and insane language dancing csárdás and eating goulash. They are very undeveloped nation riding their horses via puszta.

    Ukraine – cheap workers and poor people. They live in woods and they can’t read. We feel sorry for them but we use them for hard work. We also see them as dangerous potential eastern mafiosos.

    Russia – hateful occupants, primitives and monkeys living in ground holes. They can’t read and they steal watches. But we also have some respect because of their cosmic exploration, science and success in WW2.

    Slovenia – we have some recpect because of their economy (only post communist economy better than ours!), but their country is so small, boring and uninteresting. Well, does anybody know where Slovenia is? In some pocket?

    Croatia – small brown monkeys with similar language living and fighting in Balkan hills. They have beautiful see, we love to go to our holidays there, but we know they are cheaters and they want to steal from us.

    Bosnia – muslim monkeys living and fighting in Balkan hills. We feel sorry for their suffering in civil war.

    Serbia – they slaughter other monkeys in Balkan hills.

    Romania – they are cool, they have Dracula. But they are soooo primitive. They have nice mountains, where some Czech minority lives. We like to make time travel to see them living in 19th century.

    Bulgaria – small brown monkeys, but they have cheap see.

    Comment by Eset — July 7, 2009 @ 11:48 am

  400. [...] What Europeans think of each other By petexner Leave a Comment Categories: awesomesness and culture Tags: europe, fun, stereotypes source – dailycandor.com [...]

    Pingback by What Europeans think of each other « awesomesness — July 13, 2009 @ 6:32 am

  401. My family is Romanian and I have been there many times. What I’ve learned is that they don’t really have a strong hate for anybody. They do dislike the following though;

    1) Russians – for turning them communist
    2) Hungarians – only the ones that live in Romania and think they own the place. Apparently they are very stubborn and mean.
    3) Gypsies – Ok they definitely hate them. Most I’ve talked to say that the gypsies travel around Europe stealing and committing crimes pretending to be Romanian. They believe they are given a bad name because of this group of people. They all feel like the government should get rid of them.

    Comment by DJ — July 15, 2009 @ 6:22 pm

  402. I’m Hungarian and I don’t know about my parents hating any European countries, but have heard about some others disliking Slovakians and vice versa. Don’t really know why. I have some Slovakian friends and they are really nice. Slovakian people come to Hungary a lot also to shop or on holiday.
    I’ve been to Transsylvania some years ago, and the people there were overwhelmingly hospitable.
    About the aggressive Hungarian drivers: Hungarian drivers are aggressive only in Budapest, our capital city which is chaotic and terrible to drive through. I’ve had no problems driving in other towns of the country.

    Comment by progger — August 5, 2009 @ 2:49 pm

  403. Duh!!!!!!!!!!!!
    please don’t tell me my post is LOST??????
    I wrote a really long one too!!

    Comment by Bij Lobith komt de Rijn Ons Land — August 7, 2009 @ 11:16 am

  404. Wow, I guess Americans are pretty ignorant.I had no idea so many countries hated us(especially the ones that would be speaking german now if it wasn’t for us).I will not go back to Britian(once was enough anyway).Half hate us??The only places that seem welcoming are Spain,Italy and Greece.

    Comment by bgc — August 12, 2009 @ 1:39 pm

  405. Duh. Spaniards hate Americans the most because they know that the CIA killed many people in South America.
    Italians like Americans, maybe, but looking at their president, who resembles bush-cheney so strongly, that’s no wonder.

    And only Americans and English believe in this utter Disney fantasy world where they fought WW2 for purely selfless reasons. It was a power struggle, for world domination, pure and simple.
    The Americans won it. Should we kiss their ass for all eternity? Methinks not. We boosted the US economy quite a bit. do we get thanks for that? Equally not.

    Comment by Bij Lobith komt de Rijn Ons Land — August 23, 2009 @ 4:52 am

  406. Ok,listen ,the United States were isolationists at the time. We wanted no part of the war or we would have entered it years earlier(as we should have).If you really think that the United States wanted to rule the world then Japan and Germany wouldn’t be the great democracies they are today.

    Helped save England
    Freed France
    Rebulit Germany
    Maybe not for for eternity but I don’t think 60 years is long enough

    PEACE

    Comment by bgc — August 29, 2009 @ 1:48 pm

  407. About the Germans being rude I have to say that it is in a more honest way. My experience is that if you’re getting a German as a friend, he’s a true friend.
    I hate this fake all-over-the-face smile from Americans as they meet you, telling you how WONDERFUL and what not everything is and saying “what an idiot” behind your back. Phony. If Germans don’t like you, they just don’t want to have anything to do with you. If they think the joke you just told them is not funny, they won’t laugh. You may find that rude but at least you know what they really think of you.

    Comment by Steve — September 7, 2009 @ 8:29 am

  408. Bij Lobith komt de Rijn Ons Land- My goodness you are a bitter mis informed whore! We don’t care about you. We don’t want you to kiss our ass, we want you to go away. We only kill people who need killing. All of the most henious genocide was brought about by Europeans, Slavs and Asians. Fuck off and leave us alone.

    Comment by Max — September 16, 2009 @ 4:24 pm

  409. Regarding Czech resistance to Germany – Czechoslovakia officially capitulated, but had very strong resistance among people, guerilla and outland troops.

    Comment by zet — October 5, 2009 @ 1:08 am

  410. OMG !
    It was a lol for a long time
    just not of what you wrote but the idea that you seem to think it is true
    based on sch stereotypes and urban legends and self centered self love
    i love the americans
    i am so dumb it is actually so funny

    Comment by jenny — October 7, 2009 @ 4:20 am

  411. You’re TOTALLY wrong about Poles! \you never, ever hear jokes about Germans in Poland.\ are you kidding me? 90% of jokes in Poland is about Germans…
    \Germany and Poland is similar to that of the United States and Mexico\ – really \old-fashioned\. It used to be like that 20 yeras ago…now Germans buy cars in Poland cuz they’re cheaper ;/

    I could tell something about EVERY piece of word in this piece of crap! This are Stereotypes! Not what we think about each other!

    Comment by frompoland! — October 12, 2009 @ 8:43 am

  412. Mieszkalem w Polsce przez 2 lata; znam duzo Polakow, slyszalem tysiecy zartow. NIGDY nie slyszalem ani jednego zartu o Niemcach oprocz takich bezpiecznych, nieszklodliwych dowcipow dla dzieci.

    Comment by JM — October 12, 2009 @ 1:56 pm

  413. RE Q #30 by Michael McGrath on November 3rd, 2009 – 6:09 pm

    We all have to face ferocious cuts and cold reality here in Ireland now.

    And let’s face it, during the Celtic Tiger years , and even now in our huge economic crisis, we are being more than generous to the Polish people here in Ireland, something that Ireland cannot so obviously afford now.

    With an Immigrant population, a veritable Army, of 400,000 here while we face economic Armageddon and the real possibility of the IMF being called in, the Irish people face total disaster.

    The immigrants, the Poles in particular, can just up and out when disaster strikes – Poland is booming, there is no fear of the IMF being called in there, as there is now in the case of Ireland.

    Therefore all Dole to immigrants will now have to be abolished , especially with a Billion of Irish taxpayers money being sent home to Poland to buttress the already booming Polish economy.

    The Irish Government must now urgently apply to the E.U. for derogations from the E.U. Protocol governing payment of Dole and other Assistance to incoming immigrants, no matter where they originate from.

    However, immigrants from EU countries coming to Ireland to work with a specific job secured here, cannot and should not be stopped – this massive problem must not be allowed to feed and fuel racism, which could easily happen as we see from comments from justly outraged Irish people who are the victims of Welfare Tourism, their own benefits now being cut, over the next three years, perhaps more, as a result.

    No country in the world should be expected to put up with what Ireland is putting up with – having to pay out two billions a year to immigrants who are still streaming in here while the Irish are forced to emigrate in the midst of the greatest depression that Ireland has ever experienced in modern times.

    There are of course the real leeches who contribute nothing to anybody, neither Polish nor Irish – Western Union who transmit that Billion of Irish peoples and Irish Government money out of Ireland annually, and profit by massive charges thereon , they should be surcharged 50 % on every Euro they send out of reland, that would put a stop to their gallop !

    And if the present Irish Government shirks its duty in dealing with this present crisis, then let the Irish people throw them out in the next General Election never to return to office, never , ever, to be voted in again.

    The Polish immigrants themselves here could help as well to defuse the situation by not being so transparently grasping and greedy, the Irish could help by calming down .

    Comment by Irish Journalist Ireland — November 3, 2009 @ 11:15 am

  414. Its a bit weird that Europeans just nominally think of Greeks as Europeans, I mean Western civilization is largely based on the ancient Greek civilization. Even the word \Europe\ is Greek.

    Comment by Jim2x — November 5, 2009 @ 5:40 am

  415. Kind of sad to have to say this, but I am sure that Czechs have never ever resisted anybody – not Nazist, not anybody else. I am Czech, you can trust me. Honestly, I have always thought, that Czechs have bad reputation for being a little cowardly and never fighting anybody – we just give up everytime when someone comes and seizes our land. We just make jokes about all the invaders and they leave after some time anyway :-)
    Poles have always fought – I was at workcamp with one polish girl and we got agreed that Czech cities are old, untouched and historical, while polish ones have been destroyed, newly built and now they are full of war memorials :-)

    Comment by stachys — November 6, 2009 @ 12:46 pm

  416. and something to add to JM: I CAN understand you, but I do not think that anybody else can, too; maybe it would be more useful to use english when all the other people on the disscusion probably can speak it, but very little of them speak polish, wouldn´t it?

    JM: Yes, but that message was directed to all the hypersensitive Poles who ALWAYS reject any sort of characterization of them. “You don’t know the first thing about us!” is the first thing they always say…even if you’ve lived there!

    Comment by stachys — November 6, 2009 @ 12:49 pm

  417. And one more czech observation: I completely HATE when I am speaking with some other person from slavic country (mostly Poland or Russia ), I try to speak partly czech and partly their language and they don´t understand or they pretend not to understand! It drives me mad, because I CAN understand them but they just don´t understand me. It is so… frustrating!

    There is a story about it: I was buying a train ticket at the Krakow ticket office and the woman at the cash desk couldn´t speak english, so I tried my very basic polish (cca 50 words :-) )combined with czech. She was sitting there, not even trying to understand and just saying over and over again “I really don´t understand you, you are bunch of stupid tourists” (of course in polish) and I said “But I can understand YOU!” (of course in czech) She didn´t understand…

    JM: That’s because some of them are truly stupid and can’t understand any variation of what they speak. Others resent Czechs. But it’s always funny to me that the ignorant and/or monolingual are always staffed at international ticket booths at train stations!
    (I also spoke Croatian when I first moved to Poland, and I could usually understand the gist of what they were saying, but they just thought I was an idiot who spoke broken Polish and they wouldn’t even try to understand.)

    Comment by stachys — November 6, 2009 @ 12:59 pm

  418. but, still, I really like Poland… I was there just for two weeks, during the summer, but I ´d love to come back again…sometimes… Everything looked a little similar to the czech republic, different, but still similar somehow… I was in the country at the easternmost part and it reminded me the Czech republic 15 year ago, when I was a little more than a small child :-)

    Comment by stachys — November 7, 2009 @ 2:06 pm

  419. Hello,

    I’m Mexican-American, and I find this article to be very interesting. We obviously know that Americans \hate\Mexicans; I always that the perception that Europe was a united continent. Guess not! I really love being American because we think to the future, and not the past. I love all these stereotypes about Europeans. Next time, another American calls me a wetback, I’ll know what to respond. :)

    Comment by Rogelio — November 20, 2009 @ 12:33 am

  420. Hey guys, I’m Portuguese and here are my views on this subject: The Portuguese feel superior to Braziians (I know they’re not European but they were brought up in an earlier post) due to the majority of them being of mixed race and from a third world country (which the Portuguese founded). This attitude on the part of the Portuguese results in Brazilians reacting with jokes about Portuguese as a way to even things out. The Spaniards are seen sometimes as a bunch of gypsies with the whole flamenco and bullfighting thing and the Portuguese know that Spaniards are thought of by Americans as just another set of latinos who may or may not come from Mexico. There was an interviewer once who said to Penelope Cruz upon hearing she was from Spain : Oh so you’re a Mexican from Europe. The Italians are thought of as cousins in Portugal even more than the Spanish sometimes because we look similar and have similar culture. The English are seen as superior beings and have always unfortunately bowed down to them as if they were Gods. This is now changing but has unfortunately been true for many centuries. There is a saying in Portuguese that goes something like: Para Ingles ver (For English to see) in other words let’s try and impress the English like an offspring would try to impress a parent.

    Comment by Frank Bettencourt — November 21, 2009 @ 6:59 am

  421. To continue with the Portuguese view: Greeks are seen as very similar in looks and culture as well and are neither liked nor disliked. There is very little difference between a bunch of Portuguese old men sitting in a cafe drinking coffee and chatting and a bunch of old Greeks doing the same. The French have traditionallly been seen as superior in culture and race but with the advent massive arab and black immigration to France this view is rapidly changing as many Portuguese are now seeing the country as just another multicultural area of Europe. Also there are so many Portuguese living in France (around a million) that it is often seen as part of Portugal. The Portuguese like the Ukrainians who consitute the second largest immigrant population in Portugal because they are white and European and learn Portuguese very fast. They’re not crazy about all the Eastern Euro gangs springing up in Portugal though. The Continental Portuguese have traditionally looked down on Portuguese islanders like the Azoreans and the Madeirans for being isolated out in the middle of the ocean but the Azoreans actually feel superior racially since they have maintained their European roots (for the most part) while places like Lisbon have become inundated with Africans, Asians and latinos. Often the Azores feel more like Europe than parts of the mainland.

    Comment by Frank Bettencourt — November 21, 2009 @ 7:12 am

  422. This made my week. It’s human nature to dislike and begrudge others.

    And so it is on the aggregate international scale.

    The Irish dislike the English, obviously, for oppressing them for 600 years and inducing a famine that killed millions. Some English people feel a little guilty about that and others hate the Irish and see them, as someone said above, as a symbol of lost power (older generation) Naturally the lower class (sorry not being snobbish but English society is ultra classist) are complete ignorant in their lack of education and so would naturally hate the Irish who ‘took their jobs’ in the 70s and 80s and only say so having heard it from their just as uneducated parents. The Irish are just as economically well-positioned as the British and performed better during the last 20 years (apart from the obvious current recessionary glitch). The Scottish also dislike the British and the Welsh are as they have always been ignored to an extent.

    The French are arrogant and obnoxious (and racist) but that’s nearly identical to the English so yet another reason that they don’t get along (coupled with the last thousand years of history)

    The Germans are straight up, say what they think and do what they say. Humour would be preferrable though!

    The Italians tend to live in their own little world (they do like the Greeks though) but are quite warm and friendly.

    The Swedish are very polite and friendly and like the Irish seem to love silly idle conversation and talk of the weather.

    Americans tend to adore the Italians and the Irish, dislike the French, and have the British as their new lapdog (yes they do, although the British hate them)

    Eastern Europeans are incredibly hard and blunt (not in the saem way as the Germans) but personally I think their Iron Curtain history has had an impression here.

    Just personal opinions. The idiots who are going off on a ranted tantrum about this should develop a sense of humour and a respect for other people’s OPINIONS

    Comment by MegaLOL — November 26, 2009 @ 6:07 pm

  423. to the one that said the germans should be speaking russian because they lost the war. Read your history and remember their were 3 other major powers fighting germany as well, along with a few other smaller nations. I don’t believe Russia would have succeeded without them .
    Anwyay, its funny you say that since so many russians now also speak german as a second language.

    Comment by me — December 13, 2009 @ 11:18 am

  424. As a native born American of 100% Estonian descent (both parents born there during the inter-war period), I’d like to add my thoughts from the point of view of this small Baltic country.

    Estonians detest being labeled “Eastern European”, considering themselves Nordic. This is to be expected as Estonians are culturally and linguistically almost identical to the Finns, and have historically been influenced by (i.e. dominated by) Danes, Swedes, and Germans. And only more recently by the Russians, whom are the only people the Estonians truly dislike. Russians think Estonians are all racist and Nazis, and ungrateful for the Soviet “liberation” of Estonia from the Germans. As a previous poster noted regarding the Czechs, there is dark subconscious pride among some Estonians that Hitler considered them part of the Nordic brethren.

    Most other countries probably don’t even give Estonia a second thought, except as maybe a quaint little country where they can spend a weekend and get drunk for really cheap.

    Being always grouped together with the Latvians and Lithuanians is somewhat bothersome to Estonians, as they see themselves as better than their neighbors to the south. Indeed the Latvian and Lithuanian languages evolved from the same proto-slavic language root as most of Eastern Europe, whereas the insanely bizarre Estonian language is closely related only to Finnish (and distantly to Hungarian)

    Comment by Sven — December 13, 2009 @ 8:28 pm

  425. I’m American and here’s my two cents on Europeans.

    British – bad food and they drink too much but the people are nice. I love British humor. The people are very proud of their history.

    French – a bit stuck up but hey, it’s France. They have a beautiful language and fantastic cuisine. Too many immigrants are ruining this wonderful country. What I most admire about the French is their medical system. Vive la France!

    Italy – what can I say?? History, architecture, food, scenery etc. etc. Italian men are the most beautiful in all of Europe.

    Germany – hard working and efficient.

    Sweden – Ikea. I like their Swedish meatballs.

    Russia – very cold country but full of Russian billionaires who profited from the fall of communism. However, the Russian mafia is worse than Italian mafia.

    Romania – Transylvania is part of this country, birthplace of Dracula aka Vlad Tepes. The most famous gymnast of all time came from here: Nadia Comaneci.

    Spain – a misunderstood country by many Americans. They think Spain = Mexico. It’s totally false. Spanish culture and cuisine is totally different.

    Ireland – Americans like the Irish since many Americans trace their ancestry back to the Emerald Isle. Friendly people.

    In this 21st century, it’s the developing nations that will benefit the most. Developed Euro nations and the U.S. will continue to struggle. It’s cheaper to hire a Eastern European than a Western European.

    Comment by Meg — December 16, 2009 @ 8:07 am

  426. Hi all, I’m spaniard.

    I just want to say that everyone here telling spaniards hate portugueses are either ignorants or portugueses trying to justify their own hate towards Spain. Portugal is a country built over an irrational spanish-phobia but portugueses are too diplomatic (or ashamed) to admit it.

    Spain doesn’t care about Portugal and it’s not arrogance, it’s pretty much like the guy who wrote this article about stereotypes: He didn’t took Portugal into account because Portugal doesn’t use to stand out. And if Portugal doesn’t use to stand up as much as Spain (which is what truthly irritates portugueses), it’s not Spain’s fault.

    Greetings.

    Comment by byteme — December 16, 2009 @ 7:32 pm

  427. funny read, good to know.

    but, one thing i get to seek:

    how eu be united anyway?

    Comment by Peace Hecz — December 23, 2009 @ 7:41 am

  428. Europeans in general like each other country, even with all these stupid stereotypes. Sorry, but only ignorant persons believe in stereotypes.
    I believe in persons, and we are all different.

    Comment by Esther — January 2, 2010 @ 6:33 am

  429. I just want to understand why Portugal was not considered in this article?
    It’s not up to me to say this country is more important than the other but if you are going to write about the Europeans, like you said, i think you need to write about all of them and dont leave behind some of the countries. If you wanted to make an article on the countries you visited, while you were in Europe ,you should have mentioned that, now pretending to write something about all Europe and forget this or that country i think is very lazy or ignorant decision by you.
    Just my two cents…

    Comment by Myjas — January 2, 2010 @ 8:26 am

  430. Wow this is a funny article! Nice stereotypes everyone.

    Now adding my 2 cents:

    I myself am portuguese and I did grow up thinking the spanish were quite limited in many ways (notouriously their lack of language skills and quite short work days). That being said I believe the whole spanish-portuguese thing is quickly dying out as both countries are now seeing that they have much more in common than in difference (most of the spanish stereotypes are applicable here). Being to both countries on very numerous occasions I can say there aren’t really that many differences between us. I just think most of the world is too lazy to actually say spanish and portuguese so they just say spanish (would it be hard to just say Iberians?). We’re practically the same to a foreigner’s eyes I believe, that’s why we don’t stand out as much I think (the fact that american’s have a ton of mexican immigrants and have thus shaped the media doesn’t help either).

    That being said we do have have some key differences, I consider the portuguese much less verbal(in general), a much more quiet version of the spanish – but still quite social by northern europpeans standarts. Most of us, contrary to the spanish, also like to know 2 or 3 languages and everything about every culture – portuguese tend to be quite adaptable and view the ideia of moving into another europpean country positively (also why most of us like to travel a lot).

    Most of the portuguese stereotypes out there are born out of the generation that grew up in the dictatorship and represent portuguese people today lesser and lesser.

    The one thing I will say thou is that we’re always 10min LATE minimum. It’s really a cultural thing when you say 8:00 sharp, we hear 8:00ish.

    Comment by Pe6r0 — January 5, 2010 @ 10:04 am

  431. I totally agree with Pe6ro and I’m portuguese myself too. It’s true that we grow with the idea that all that comes from Spain is bad and to be spanish is a real nighmare… We associate spain to noise, gypsies or just bad things what it’s not fair for sure. Our history books end always talking about the spanish as they were evil people and change some facts to put them in low ranks or give more importance to their fails.

    In other hand the spanish represent a really egocentric culture too and arrogant like byteme showed in his words. They really feel superior not only to their close neighbour but to their own past colonies too (like us i admit) and they have a higher difficulty to understand other cultures or to get informed about them. Half of the spanish people for example with my age (26) when asked don’t know even what’s the capital of Portugal for my personal experience, more surprinsing is that people are higly educated and not from isolated sites. Probably some are just lazy to say or ironical as i’m portuguese myself… but then it’s normal that we think they don’t really know the world outside. In portugal who doesn’t know that Madrid is the capital of Spain is considered some kind of retarded as the same for a much far country as Belgium.

    Spanish are really proud to be part of Europe too(I think) probably because they’re complex is to be a southern country and then “less europeans” as they suffer more steriotypical associations than Portugal, italy or greece. Naturally steriotyps spread by the northern countries fear of their great power across history, they always tried to push them back. So they really hate to get confused with non-europeans like mexicans. And so they have tendencie to look east and north geographically (europe direction) and forget the small neighbour in the west. Portugal in opposite are not so connected to Europe and have a much stronger look across atlantic.

    If the spanish don’t know us at all, we don’t know Spain so well as we think too to be fair, we put all the regions in the same bag but in reality they’re pretty different from each other and in our minds the tipical spanish is a guy in Andaluzia dancing flamenco which in catalunya that don’t really feets. And yes we hate to be confused with Spain although we know few differences exist. Although our population is quiet or cold minded for a latin country, we only notice a spanish between us if he speaks or by his style in extreme cases and after that moment they’re right to complain for some bad reactions which are stupid for sure.

    Comment by Luis — January 6, 2010 @ 10:09 pm

  432. It’s not arrogance my dear Luis, it’s just INDIFFERENCE.

    In Spain we don’t care about Portugal, just like France, England, Germany, Italy, USA etc. doesn’t care about Portugal. Do you think that all these countries are arrogant just for the fact that they don’t care about your country? Is the author of this article an arrogant because he didn’t take Portugal into account in the first place?

    Let’s face it, you can’t stand the fact that the world completely ignore your country after being an Empire. Portugueses are always talking about their “glorious” past and how they traveled all along the world… they haven’t still faced their reality (5 millions of emigrants around the world, i.e. 1/3 of their population). Now that’s arrogance.

    Fortunately, we (spaniards) left our past behind along time ago, we concentrate in our future and ourselves. The spanish children can learn about the Spanish Empire in school.

    And we don’t make a fool of ourselves by whining or calling “arrogant” to everyone who doesn’t paid attention to us. I recommend you to do the same.

    Comment by byteme — January 7, 2010 @ 3:49 pm

  433. Myjas, some will tell you that the author of this article is an arrogant spaniard for sure. LOL.

    Comment by byteme — January 7, 2010 @ 3:59 pm

  434. It’s not arrogance Luis, it’s just indifference.

    In Spain we care about Portugal as much as France, England, Germany, Italy, USA etc can care about Portugal. Do you think that all these countries are arrogant just by the fact that they don’t care enough (according to you) about your country? Is the author of this article an arrogant because he didn’t take Portugal into account in the first place?

    Let’s face it, you can’t stand the indifference toward your country after being an Empire and all that. Portugueses are always talking about their “glorious” past and how they traveled all along the world… they haven’t still faced their reality (5 millions of emigrants around the world, i.e. 1/3 of their population). Now that’s arrogance.

    Fortunately, we (spaniards) left our past behind along time ago, we concentrate in our future and ourselves. Spanish children can always learn about the Spanish Empire in school.

    And we don’t go around whining or calling “arrogant” to everyone who doesn’t paid attention to us, that’s childish and pathetic.

    Greetings.

    Comment by byteme — January 7, 2010 @ 7:25 pm

  435. Myjas, don’t worry. I’m sure the author of this article is an arrogant spaniard who dismissed Portugal on purpose. [/sarcasm off]

    Comment by byteme — January 7, 2010 @ 8:15 pm

  436. Well i think i hurt you saying that you’re like a common spanish:p

    first point you should not to be proud to \be indiferent\ to something. It’s not a advantage for anyone i think neither to one population, but you seem proud that’s why i think it’s arrogance and not ignorance which is worse.

    second point, you seem to forgot (intencionally or not) the actual size of Portugal in the world and the proximity it have to your own country. We are 5 times smaller than Spain!! if you want to compare us go find countries with the same size and go compare the level of \greatness\ such as Hungary, greece, austria or bulgaria… And compare yourself to France, England or Italy, (ok they have a little advantage in pop.). If you really feel that you know the portuguese as the english know than is just ridiculous for you and not for me because english know better ireland than you do for sure as US for other reasons, just an example…

    US, Germany or England are not obligated to know us as well that’s my point… We are just a small point in the world but… you should know something.. we have some rivers in common at least lol Maybe you like more France as a neighbour but unfortunelly you have more in common with this stupid country:D

    Other point is i didn’t mencioned our history, but i think it’s more a stereotype because i heard so many times complains without saying nothing… I start thinking that irritates you more (spanish people) than we really talk about that. But in fact you should be able to admit that was a hell of a job taking in count that a 1 million pop. country in sec 15 built the first world empire. Well.. it’s better than nothing!! But this discussion have no end because you’ll say you’re country is the best and me the opposite and in conclusion we’ll have the same positions.

    To our emigrants, you should know the countries who have more emigrants, Ireland, england, Germany, Italy… What’s your point? Its obvious that it’s caused by economical problems… That’s shows the weak country we are?? We had a dictatorship until 1974 with colonial wars running for years… and a lot of emigrants were from that date already in third generation now. Although they were very very poor, with any education, at least their are not known for criminality but for being hard workers, I think that’s enough for me…

    Finally how could you talk about portuguese if you are indifferent for that? You don’t know neither half what’s going on here if so… You’re history books gives you’re version our books gives our version… that’s how it works… At least i can say i’m not ashamed of my country, i’ll stay here until the rest of my days if depends me, it’s a nice place to live believe me and we don’t think that we are a great power in the world let that idea out… and although you’re still a egocentrical spaniard bastard, personally you’re very welcome to be here if you want! :)

    Comment by Luis — January 8, 2010 @ 5:37 pm

  437. Hi, Great Article!
    But… in reference to the Spanish I have to say…
    Are u sure they are not hated by everyone? Its too much of a general comment because as I can see it even within Spain there is a lot of hatred. I guess they are mainly loved for their tourist spots but other than that nothing special!
    I am from Gibraltar [British Colony in the Southern Iberian Coast] and.. even though my nationality is British I consider myself solely Gibraltarian as we all do here.. and may I say we have ALOT to say about them.. I am not going to criticize however there is MUCH about Spain ppl don’t know about or refuse to accept just because they have nice beaches …anyhow that’s just my opinion and I am being nice :)

    Comment by Lianne — January 10, 2010 @ 3:48 pm

  438. I am a German-italian, and i believe European usually tend to like our european peers (few exceptions).
    Anyway, when taken as individuals, most european know that these are stereotypes. What can i say Europe is great.
    —-
    Greetings from Germany for all European brothers.

    Comment by Lukas — January 14, 2010 @ 6:51 pm

  439. @ byteme & luis: flame war? Everyone behaved nicely this far, let’s not ruin it.
    Seriously:
    byteme, no point in calling us invisible (little rude dont’a think?). We’re ,contrary to your belief, quite visible (depends of where your looking), you just need actually be listening and take context into consideration.. Read my previous comment and you might get another point of view.

    luis, were you really expecting not to antagonize spaniards with your first reply? xD

    As a side note: I love being europpean. It’s great. I just hope we keep walking towards a more united europe -one who sees how diferent and special and precious we all are.

    Comment by Pe6r0 — January 14, 2010 @ 9:36 pm

  440. @ Lianne: All the spaniards I’ve spoken too speak often of people from gibraltar don’t ever want to be considered spanish but part of the UK. I wonder, Gibraltar has seen spanish sovereignty much longer than a british one, why do you think gibraltans should want to be british?

    Comment by Pe6r0 — January 14, 2010 @ 9:40 pm

  441. Haha, I enjoyed this. I’ve lived in Europe and Asia all my life and have to say this is prety accurate. I don’t know so much about the Eastern European countries but what is said about the French is prety true.

    Comment by Fish — January 24, 2010 @ 2:16 am

  442. OMG ALL THESE STEREOTYPES ARE IN THE SHOW HETALIA. THIS PROVES IT. XD

    Comment by HetaliaWatcher — January 25, 2010 @ 5:22 am

  443. HetaliaWatcher >> Hush you XD Don’t want too much attention on Hetalia, else another North Korea-rage will come out of it.

    I think it’s a positive thing to have European countries so comfortable with their ‘stereotypes’. This goes to show that actually they’re pretty united. Maybe it’s the common shared landmass (with some exceptions) that’s keeping them together.

    Here in SouthEast asia, we’re separated by channels and seas, so we’re more indifferent to each other than anything, which is sad. You Europeans should be lucky!

    Comment by Zazaza — January 29, 2010 @ 10:18 am

  444. @ Pe6r0:

    You got your facts all wrong about Gibraltar… it’s been under Arab sovereignty the longer than either Spain or Britain’s (funny that!).

    As to the Spanish – I think most of Europe resent them mainly due to their behaviour whilst abroad and the lack of respect to the local cultures. I personally however have had great experiences in Spain and most of the people there are friendly and welcoming.

    Comment by AB — January 30, 2010 @ 4:33 pm

  445. @ Pe6r0: Emmm if you check our history Gibraltar was under Spanish rule ~100 years – Gibraltar has actually been under Arab rule much longer than that even before both Spanish and British Rule.. We celebrated our 300 year British Sovereignty a few years back. I did not mean to offend – just stating the facts. :)

    Comment by Lianne — January 31, 2010 @ 5:27 pm

  446. I think I know the situation with Romanians: first of all they hate the hungarians and vice versa, they are very likely to bring up Trianon, and call them huns, and hungarians call them gypsies (even though they ethnically are not at least most of them) They also don’t really like Russians, or any slavs for that matter, out of Latin pride, they have a sort of tension with moldova, though they are both Romanian countries, probably for political reasons, as for Europe, I only know that Ireland despises them and France loves them, probably because the immigrant workers in ireland, and a kind of latin patronage respectively It’s probably fashionable to like the adorable realtively unheard of latin country in eastern europe, who knows, I know the other latin countries feel superior to romania and aren’t as well connected with them for obvious reasons which is both good and bad I guess

    all of this was learned from comments on youtube by the way so yeah, I have learned valuable things from youtube

    Comment by George — February 5, 2010 @ 6:34 pm

  447. Quote of LM –

    “any true scot would have a heart attack by being included here as British. They hate the english. And it is a different country (like Ireland).”

    I absolutely detest this ignorance and arrogance! An American, telling us Brits how we should feel about things as though they, simply due to the accident of being born in the US, know more about us than we know of ourselves! Especially when it ultimately turns out they don’t know what they are talking about!

    I’m a “true Scot”.

    Guess what genius, Scotland is in Britain!! We ARE British! And no, we don’t really hate the English, it’s all friendly bantar and aggressive but good humour!

    Many from American seem to believe that Britain = England. WRONG!!! NO NO NO!!! Britain is England, Scotland and Wales! The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the above countries plus, obviously Norn Iron!

    Please stop involving yourself in things you have no idea about!

    That said, I tend to think that people who keep saying that Brits are “stuck up” are missing something in translation. Brits are the most self depricative people on the planet. They are always making fun of themselves and that is often what they are doing when it appears they are making fun of other people, they are in fact making fun of being a daft Brit.

    I could understand the stuck up bit if the only Brits you meet are from the south East, around London way and are upper middle class and upwards but I can honestly say, the most down to Earth and LEAST stuck up people I have ever met are the British every man!

    Comment by Kenny — February 13, 2010 @ 8:33 am

  448. I am Northern English (from the Peak District) and we seem to have this enormous inferiority complex against the Southern English, considering ourselves better, stronger, and more socially orientated than the Southern English who we consider weak and conniving and only interested in making money at other peoples’ expense.

    Southerners seem to regard Northern English as quaint, a bit backward and that they speak funny using archaic English not heard in the South anymore and having strong dialects and different words for things.

    The English as a whole tend to dislike the Welsh who, despite being economically and politically dominated by the English for centuries, still maintain a very seperate culture and language that is impenetrable to the English. The English are much more ambivalent towards the Scots although the Scots probably hate the English more than the Welsh do. The Scots and the Welsh would be likely gang up against the English. The Scots, Welsh and English are completely ambivalent towards the Northern Irish and really hold no opinion, other than the Protestants and Catholics should just stop hating each other.

    The British tend to like the Irish, Swiss, Icelandics, Scandinavians, Finns, Dutch, Spanish, Italians and Portuguese (our oldest alliance). Brits tend to dislike the French on the whole (so much shared history, but most comments are not directed personally and are more tongue-in-cheek, typical British style humour). Brits also have an inferiority complex about Germany and never let the War drop, probably because Germany is now so much richer than the UK!!! British tend to think anyone from Eastern Europe is just coming here to take our jobs, but most other Western Europeans are more or less ok.

    As an aside I grew up in Andorra and one people from outside Andorra tend to think of it as one big duty and tax free shop. A description that’s pretty apt it has to be said!

    Comment by Chris — February 17, 2010 @ 5:55 am

  449. I love the article. It has certainly fulfilled the purpose to amuse.
    Actually so have the comments – particularly those which try to correct the views and nuance the feelings between nations.

    But hey – you can’t have humour without some ignorance (and the suspense of disbelief), and you certainly cannot have it without crude generalizations.

    As for the Ukrainians – as long as I lived there “everyone” either lowed the West and could not wait but to get out of their home country (for obvious reasons), or preached it as the cradle of culture and civilization (dating back to certain Ukrainian kniaz’es at the peak of the Kievan Rus).

    “Russian” Ukrainians tend to to pretend that they are European while the West is much more accepting and proud of their nationality.

    The love-hate relationship with the Russians is most definitely there, between the East and the West. You either love your rich and industrious neighbour having long signed up to join their union, or you curse at the Russian language, people, oligarchs, and communism who is responsible for the destruction of your land, famine, and the laziness of your neighbours. Russians, in general, are considered to be lazy. You would also passionately argue that Russia is a big fat liar because they claim the Kievan Rus to be the original Russian state, while it clearly belongs to us, at home, in Kiev.

    Comment by Viola — February 24, 2010 @ 11:33 pm

  450. Somebody put up a post saying that other Scandinavians think Danish is incomprehensible gibberish… That’s probably because it really is… I’ve been dating a Dane for years, and I am yet unable to speak it….

    Comment by Katya — March 2, 2010 @ 11:45 pm

  451. it’s NOT true we all bitch Americans. I find Americans friendly and open,, bit loud but nice people.

    The reason most Europeans detest Germany is because of WW2. It’s been 65 years but the wounds are still sore. Here in Holland everyone knows/uses the invective ‘moffen’. Even children. Dutch people used to call the Germans ‘moffen’during the 2nd world war.

    It’s true that we dislike neighbouring countries more than other European countries,, don’t know why..
    But, still think Europe’s nice and beautiful and diverse. I love Cretan beaches and food and love Barcelona, Portuguese coast and Cambridge in England. Czech Republic is a great country too! And as for Germany,, great to shop and nice Apfelstrudel:D ! and cheap flights.lol. Italy has the best food and Rome is Europe’s ancient pearl.
    Amsterdam is greaaat! and it’s not true dutch people are stoned– tourists are though. It is true Dutch people are cocky, but come on, that’s not a bad thing.

    The country I personally dislike the most, is France. I’ve been there a lot and find them arrogant, and they won’t speak english.. so luckily we learn a bit French in school, which sucks, because the French don’t learn dutch so why should we learn French?

    xoxo from know-it-all-Dutch-girl (your words)

    Comment by Ava — March 7, 2010 @ 4:04 am

  452. I’m a Canadian who has been living in Holland for 6 months so far and I love learning about the stereotypes Europeans have toward each other. It’s crazy to think people 200 km away are something different from you (coast to coast Canadians are all kinda the same by comparison!)

    The Dutch are blunt, cheap and arrogant – but I love them! Germans are over-efficient keeners but they are very hospitable! Austrians have the best food, but the Viennese are ass holes. Most Scandinavians hate Sweden, but Swedes for the most part don’t care! The Swiss are slow, the Spanish always late and Italians can’t drive despite having the best cars. And Poles steal them!

    Not everyone falls under a stereotypes, but they are still funny. I’m used to them too – after all Canadians are basically Americans in disguise. ;)

    Comment by Liza — March 11, 2010 @ 9:07 am

  453. So, here’s my turn to add my version of the facts:

    I’m portuguese and I must say a couple of previous posters are bang on. We are obsessed with our history and the fact we once had a great Empire. This makes us look towards the atlantic much more than we look at other european nations.
    We have a very ambivalent relationship with the spaniards
    But it is true we are more quiet and reserved. Other tha that pretty much the same – both countries have great food, sun and a rich history.
    We dislike the french and think of them as arrogant pricks.
    We have strong ties with the english ( the oldest alliance in the world ).
    We admire Italians due to romanization ( there was a time the whole of Iberia was under roman rule and that left a far bigger impression than the moors ( muslims ) which are generally detested. we tend to look at greek as suffering from the same ill as us ( a country with the burden of having had a magnificient history their present day reality fails to live up to ).
    We have ideas about other countries in Europe ( but given their distance from us and the fact that we have traditionally not had much contact other than trade ) tend to disregards them.
    As for Brasil, we both love their joie de vivre, but resent the brasilian immigrants – and we personnally despise the fact that they think they have nothin to do with us ( despite the fact they only exist as a country due to a portuguese king, who declared independence ). I have family there and look at them as having exactly the same culture, but in a warmer climate.
    Among ourselves there is a big divide between north and south Portugal, due to southerners being under arab rule for much longer. However we have an 800 year history and we are one of the oldest nations in the world, so we have learned to overlook minor differences and embrace difference in general. And I think that is our biggest characteristic: a kind of weary ambivalence about everyone, as we carry the weight of our history, conquests and wars and as such tend to think in terms of “we have seen it all”.

    It’s still an absolutely beautiful country to visit, with an hospitable people, breathtaking scenery, amazing food and year round sun.

    Comment by Carlos Cidrais — March 16, 2010 @ 2:39 pm

  454. Im from london, but lived in finland for a whole year.. and the things i heard the most was that all swedes are gay..but very good looking tho ;)

    Comment by claude — April 8, 2010 @ 2:51 pm

  455. Dude, this has been quite a long, yet worthy read. I bursted into laughter quite a few times due to the swearings, angry comments and whatnot posted on this page.

    I am not European, in fact I was born in South america, yet have lived around 3 years in this beautiful continent, which I like much more than my homeland. Some of the traits about certain nations are accurate, others are ,in my opinion, the result of stereotyping of minorities.

    I don´t really consider the Greeks of nowadays as Europeans. They don´t quite behave or excel like their “ancestors” did. Same goes for Albanians, even though they never did something meaningful in history.

    For what it´s worth, here´s a handful of European nations which I consider top and the reasons :

    -Germany-The country I am currently living in. People are reliable, civilized, punctual and polite. Food sucks, but hell, the country has many nice things.
    -Slovakia,Czech Republic and POland: About the nicest people you´ll ever meet. Great food, great alcohol and cultures.
    -Austria: nice landscapes and architecture.
    -Holland: Cool food, and the people are nice.

    Some traits I have noticed:
    -Finns: Introverted, silent, shy .Great metal.
    -Swedes: Arrogant, self-absorbed.
    -Norwegians: Attractive, tall, polite, serious, funny
    -English: arrogant, self-absorbed, loud, unpolite, silly.
    -Spaniards: Racist, intolerant, under-developed, slow, unpunctual, funloving, outgoing.
    -Portuguese: Who the hell cares?
    -Italians: Silly, inmature, macho, lazy
    -Albanians: not European. should be living in Turkey.

    Comment by MiguelISaacs — April 10, 2010 @ 2:12 pm

  456. as an englishman i love England and very very proud of what we have contributed to the world,as with every other country there are aspects of which we should be ashamed.that said i feel we have done more good than bad,with regards to the rest of europe i have never felt european we are an island nation as for the people who dislike us then why are we the most popular country in europe for immigration destination

    Comment by Keith Kilbourne — April 11, 2010 @ 5:34 am

  457. In the part of Sweden where I live, there are people who blames the Polish for everything. And I really mean EVERYTHING! They mean that they screwed up the Swedish economy, and that they began ww2. Weird!

    btw: God bless la France! <333

    Comment by swe — April 11, 2010 @ 1:52 pm

  458. All these comments about British food being terrible are nonsense. I for instance, am well known for my delicious ‘Sheep Brains on Toast’, wash down with four pints of warm beer and ‘voila!’. See, I even speak foreign!

    Comment by James — April 21, 2010 @ 7:38 am

  459. \Poles really shore up their hatred for their eastern & southern neighbors, primarily Russia and Ukraine, although they don’t like Czechs, Slovaks or Lithuanians either. Oddly, they don’t really mind the Germans, and probably still fear them a bit — you never, ever hear jokes about Germans in Poland.\

    I’ve never heard such rubbish in my life. Germans and Russians are the ones most hated by Poles, and they also get to have the most jokes being told about them (A Pole, a Russian and a German come into a bar…). Poles do like (or are indifferent about) Lithuanians and Czechs, without reciprocity, though.

    Comment by Linda — April 21, 2010 @ 2:56 pm

  460. I just wanna add something that is quite important for most Scandinavian people (I myself am Danish) Finland is NOT nor will it EVER be a part of Scandinavia! :P Cool guys and all… but Scandinavia is made up of Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

    Comment by DPKOG — April 23, 2010 @ 1:41 pm

  461. Wow Luis, looks like a hit a nerve.

    I insists: It’s not arrogance my friend, it’s just INDIFFERENCE (which isn’t hate either, btw).

    In Spain we don’t care about Portugal, just like France, England, Germany, Italy, USA etc. doesn’t care about Portugal (or even us). Do you think that all these countries are arrogant just for the fact that they don’t care about your country? Is the author of this article an arrogant because he didn’t take Portugal into account in the first place?

    Let’s face it, you can’t stand the fact that the world completely ignore your country after being an Empire. Portugueses are always talking about their “glorious” past and how they traveled all along the world… they haven’t still faced their current reality. Now that’s arrogance.

    Fortunately, we (spaniards) left our past behind along time ago, we concentrate in our future and ourselves. The spanish children can learn about the Spanish Empire in school.

    And we don’t make a fool of ourselves by whining or calling “arrogant” to everyone who doesn’t paid attention to us. I recommend you to do the same.

    Truth hurts Luis, I know. Also, these days spanish hospitals are taking care of a lot of portugueses cause Lisbon have closed a few hospitals in the portuguese regions near the border with Spain. I guess this doesn’t help either to make us look like humble people, huh?. Let’s face the real problem here, people like you feel deeply humilliated by big the gap in quality of life between Spain and Portugal. Blame on your politicians not us, please.

    PS- And I almost forget about Olivenza, a spanish region who was portuguese in the past.

    Comment by byteme — April 29, 2010 @ 7:53 pm

  462. Fun article :D
    I am french and, though some stereotypes you point at are outdated or just \traditionnal jokes\, reading your text we get a good global picture

    About french people :
    -We dont dispise Belgian people, we just love to make fun of them. In kids jokes, the belgian guy is always the sutpid one. But about Belgium, seriously, I think most of us respect this country for being the heart of UE
    -We seriously don’t know how to queue XD (that’s WAR, man)
    -We see the german people as anal, but we do like Berlin. No one wants to speak german because it’s not a language, it’s a throat disease. WW2 is a trauma, even for the younger generation. But nowadays, in Europa, France & Germany are the closest countries.
    -We see italians as you guys (american) see french people (in the movies) : romantic lovers with a moustache, who cook GOOD food. We also think they’re the worst people ever when they drive a car.
    -We are VERY proud of our gastronomy. Too proud.
    -We have a political opinion about everything, it’s not to piss you off, we just can’t help.
    -We don’t hate brits. Well, we hate brits when they’re america-lovers, that’s true (for most of the people, and this is intense since G.W. Bush, I don’t remember anything of that kind before Irak \^^) and we do see England as America’s pet.
    -We are late. For everything : even important meetings start 15min late.
    -We do think english food sucks, and german one too. We keep thinking english people cook everything in the microwave hoven, when they dont cook it in boiling water

    About british people :
    They do have a mixed feeling about France and french peope : it’s a love-hate feeling. They would love to live in France, but without the inhabitants ;P
    But french and english people love to tease each-other, it’s been centuries… Before Germany, England is our ancestral enemy.

    About Spanish people :
    We see them as caliente, warm and welcoming people, good cookers, but yeah, racists. They have a 3h nap in the middle of the afternoon and start living again around 6pm.

    About scandinavians :
    We think they are perfect.

    About greeks :
    We don’t think they are european.

    About swits :
    Hey, dude. This is NOT Europa ! ;)

    Comment by Julia — May 20, 2010 @ 12:21 pm

  463. Hi, just want to comment and add something to your list (add the stereothypes I know of. it does not mean I share them).

    Czech/German/Poland – sry but Czechoslovakia failed to resist Germany and immediately surrendered to Wermacht. On the other hand Poland fighted for almost three weeks.

    Czechs – I don’t know about any tensions between Poland and Czechs. They usually consider Czech people as funny (due Czech language, which sounds funny to them). Czechs still don’t give a shit about Poland, even though there is existing polish minority in Silesia.
    Some of the oldtimers have mixed feelings about Germans due WW2, however younger generation consider them as closest way to the western world (especially Berlin as the most impressive city in this area).
    However there is still some tension between Czech and Slovakia (but it’s nothing hot, some of the tensions existists still from the start of the 20th century, when the Czechs were considered asi colonizators and oppessors, however some of the Czechs consider them as traitors who deserted to Hitler during WW2 and ended federation in 1992 – but these feelings are not very often in younger generation).
    In regards of alcohol consumption they consider Germans and Danish as their biggest rivals.

    Throughout the East there is common tensions towards Russia as general invadors. Czechs generally hate them due their 20 years long army pressence, invasion and arrogance

    Ukranians – cheap laborers often confused and hated as Russians

    Romaia – poor land full of the gypsies where you have to put a paper which you’ve used to wiper your ass into a special bin (general problem in some of the Balkanian countries due inadequate pipes system).

    Hungary – some of the central Europeans does’nt consider tham as pasrt ofthe continent due their strange language. There is still some tension with neighbour countries, especially Slovakia (tension goes back to WW1 and end of Austria-Hungary)

    Portuguese – considered as Ukrainians of Western Europe in both ways: cheap laborers and some of the Europeans thinks their language is similar to Russian.

    Greek – part of Europe, but nobody gave a shit about them until fiscal crisis 2009/2010. Almost all Europeans hate them now and have to pay their debt.

    Comment by PHM — June 3, 2010 @ 1:01 pm

  464. May I ask why Norwegians get described as racist?

    Comment by DumbAsses — June 11, 2010 @ 2:37 pm

  465. Lol, I didn’t know Greeks were regarded as non-European. Which is fine with me btw (I’m Greek) as I don’t particularly care for ethnicities or nationalities.

    Anyways, I think the Greeks in general are friendly towards Europeans. However, I do know for a fact that immigrants and particularly Albanians/Romanians/Bulgarians were not and are not treated very well by some Greeks. Which is why most of the “anti-Greek” comments in this post come from Albanians, I guess. And probably the same is true of “Fyromians” – because of the whole naming dispute not because of immigration. So, yeah, I understand why they wouldn’t like us very much.

    With regards to some of the stereotypes. I personally love British cuisine- I don’t know why it has such a bad rep. In general I love British culture – although probably not comtemporary British culture… I have mixed feelings about the modern British people too.

    Love the French, the Spanish, the Italian, the German, the Austrian and the Russian cultures. Unlike the British people however, I don’t know any French or Spanish, etc person intimately. But I do admire lots of historical figures from these countries.

    I have no particular feelings towards the Scandinavians, the Portuguese (Figo was great :p), the Czechs (some pretty lovely women), the Belgians, the Dutch (I like their liberal reforms though), the Hungarians (Dvorak ruled), etc.

    Lastly, I have to say that when I was growing up 2 of my best friends were Greek-Finnish so I have friendly feelings towards Finland despite knowing very little about it.

    Comment by Cerberus — June 12, 2010 @ 8:45 am

  466. Someone once said to me: “The Swedes make jokes about the Danes, the Danes about the Norwegians, the Norwegians about the Swedes and they all together make jokes about the Finns.” (Not totally true.)

    Swedes and Norwegians make jokes about each other, very often the same jokes about just changing “Swede” to “Norwegian” and vice versa.

    Finland is somehow the outsider in group, having a language totally different to the languages in the rest of Scandinavia (which are very similar). On the other hand, many Finns also speak Swedish (with an extremely obvious accent though).

    Also, it’s commonly “known” in Finland that all Swedish men are gay.

    Generally:
    In a West European´s eyes, East Europe is just a bunch of former Soviet countries which are less developed and have cheap workers. Sometimes the Czech Republic is incorrectly seen as a former Soviet country.

    The longer to the south you get, the lazier people and hotter temperaments.

    Comment by J — June 12, 2010 @ 7:04 pm

  467. THE LITHUANIANS

    The entire 20th century so-called “west” Europeans hated and prejudiced east Europeans ignoring them along with south americans, africans and asians, and now, when they screwed up importing too many muslims into their so western Europe, now they turned to so much prejudiced east Europeans for help!

    When approaching a western European woman during 1980s or 1990s I’ve been turned down or ignored, now those “western” “European” (muslim-looking French, Italian etc. can go and date muslims and leave us, eastern Europeans alone! We can’t help you “get rid” of muslims from your so muslim western Europe.

    Lithuanians are known for being slow and quiet, but they are more hot-headed than the other Northerners. We are considered the “Italy of Northern Europe”. Comparison of us to Russians immediately makes the Lithuanians unhappy :-) Russians were/are considered second class citizens in Lithuania. Lithuanians usually are very proud of themselves, our country’s history and architecture and even if our economy is mediocre (not poor, not very rich) we can’t imagine being anyone else. Many (but not all) Lithuanians are racist or prejudist towards not only Russians, Africans and Asians, but also towards South Europeans and “even” towards some West Europeans. (About 50% of) Lithuanians usually dislike Russia(ns). Some also dislike Poles, Belarusans, Central Asians, Muslims and Africans.
    Yet in general most Lithuanians do not hate anyone and are very friendly towards all countries, all nationalities and all races.

    If not Russian occupation, we, Lithuania, could have been like Denmark or Switzerland today. The Baltic countries today are not called “eastern Europe” anymore. Yet anything “eastern” is resent in Europe and beyond by simply being ignorant and not intelligent enough, but China/Japan/India are very Eastern countries and almost everyone loves them.

    There are always people who dislike someone, because they are insecure themselves. The Turks are hated, because the Euros are weak, afraid to defend themselves. etc. The Afros are hated because they are well built and look good, etc. The poor are hated, because they are free of any obligations and scams and therefore are freeer than the “free west”. I believe they should have left Africa in stone age conditions instead of colonising and “civilising” it which ended up in massive, hunger, greed and scams. I think, “we” White People were the reason why the world today is an imperfect place out of harmony. While we live in “developed” countries, we feel that going back to our roots, leading natural life hurts the environment less. The Whites brought Africans to the “Vespuccia” and now they complain how of a pain those folks have become. If a country has “lower standard” it is shunned. I agree, most people like to live in rich, highly taxed countries, like modern slavery of some sorts. It depends.

    Very few folks know that Lithuania was world’s first democracy and the largest country in Europe during middle ages. I am watching the politicians and wondering how good the East is becoming today when China, India and even Russia are slowly but surely becoming rich economies. Suddenly, one day soon, everyone will be loving The East. Very few know that countries like Slovenia, Czech or Estonia have much higher standards of living than Greece, Portugal or even Ireland.

    Just like it is popular in the USA to claim having some Cherokee blood, so in the future it will become popular to claim having some Russian or other east European blood/genes in one’s body, Chinese, indian, Indonesian, you name it.

    No more West and no more East Europe, but just Europe. I’m saying this before Eastern Europe becomes richer than the Western part, which was already very visible before this world economic crisis hit.

    Sorry for the messy writing.

    Comment by Jonas — June 19, 2010 @ 11:41 pm

  468. Norwegians don’t really like swedes. We don’t really care how we do in cometitions (like skiing, olympics etc.) aslong as we do it better than them ;)
    Finland and Iceland isn’t really a part of Scandinavia.
    I, personally like Iceland, because they are former Norwegians (moved over there during the viking era), and I see the germans as hard working, disciplined people who can get anything done, due to their view of order, discipline and respect.

    East Europe is seen as really poor, sad place with alot of air pollutiong. (watch Eurotrip, when they get to Slovakia;)).

    Comment by Norwegian guy — June 20, 2010 @ 2:47 pm

  469. Here some bits on what Russians (of capital area) think of Europeans

    Dislike:
    Many dislikes are due to the fact that we know that some nation dislikes us. Hard to say who started disliking first. The WWII has a large role here.
    * Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians (in fact, nobody bothers to separate Latvians from Lithuanians). Anyway, all three are modern Nazis. It is because they not allow their Russian-speaking citizens (25% or more of population in Lat and Est) to use their mother tongue language, also they support those veterans who during the WWII were in the pro-Hitler and Waffen-SS troops. Additionally, Estonians have a special role. They are considered to be extremely slow-witted. They are very popular objects in jokes, anekdotes, etc. because of that.
    * Ukranians (specifically, Western Ukranians). Greedy and miser. Eat salo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salo_(food) all the time. Also, they took away our Crimea peninsila and are not going to return it back, bastards! And, nowadays they continue to misbehave by stealing our gas and oil :)
    * Romanians. Sneaky and treacherous. Don’t really know why there is such perception. The participation of Romania in the WWII on the side of Hitler Germany has definetely something with it.

    Complicated:
    * Finns. Very honest, calm, quiet, rational people. Don’t speak much and a bit slow but in a good way, just don’t want to be in a hurry. Behave badly after consumption of small amounts of alcohol. And we know Finns dislike us. Also, for people of Saint-Petersburg Finns are likely to be the most disgusting creatures on the world (this is due to the so-called alco-trips to St.Petersburg Finns did a lot in 1990′s)
    * Germans. Very organized, accurate and punctual, extremely law-abiding. Great engineers. And you can only dream of their cars and beer … Well, I think, nowadays we generally have a rather good perception of Germans. However, because of WWII, evil and dark people are still likely to be Germans; also, their are often referred to as nazis or fascists.
    * Poles. Can’t really say much. We know they dislike us. (maybe it is not common but still) Polish women are gorgeous, have the beauty and charm rank 2, right after French women.

    Like:
    * Bulgarians
    * Belarussians
    * Serbs

    Not enough data:
    * Czechs. I would say we have positive perception of them. Somewhat funny (because of Hašek’s Good Soldier Švejk book which is well-known in Russia?) though.
    * French. Best lovers. Men are very galant, women are very classy and charming.
    * Italian. Speak and gesticulate too much. All guys are like Adriano Celentano :)
    * British. Very snobby. The best sense of humor ever. Russians often use the phrase “to take French leave” but we say (if translated) “to take _English_ leave” :)

    Comment by MoscowRussian — June 21, 2010 @ 12:34 am

  470. Finns make joke about swedes and norwegians make joke about us. Swedes kinda like us but think we are drunks. Norwegians and Danes don’t think we are part of Scadinavia.Well the western side is close as the east side is more Baltic. Genetially most west and southern finns are related to dutch! (prob.due to mass immigration of dutch workers to sweden-Finland from 1600s onwards, dutch intermarried with finns far more than swedes).

    Dutch all are daredevils who smoke pot, danes are odd and norwegians are “rich bastards”. When are you yanks gonna blow them up for their oil btw?

    We tend to copy from germans their culture (Agricola, Nationalist ideas from late 1800s, cuisine (consists of wurst and potatos) and Lutheral church) We make gentle jokes about burning lapland but secretly we are proud of our “former warbuddies against the reds”. We see them as our “big brothers” sort of? Olds aying accord to my dad “All the things the germans invent!”

    We tend to be strict followers of EU-rules to get recognision from other countries (Notice us! Pwease) And we constantly are curious and fret “what others think of us”.

    Most of us flock to Spain and are greatful if someone mistakes a drunk finn as “english”. English television is well loved here and we get as lobster-red in the sun as well (mostly).

    Comment by Johanna — June 23, 2010 @ 10:50 pm

  471. I write here what me (Italian) think about other Europe countries. Generally we like every country in Europe but:

    - Scandinavia: generally for us it is all the same, I really don’t see differences between all nordic countries.. We think of them as beautiful, tall people blond and blu-eyed. But we think also they are a bit weirdos (gay?), perhaps simple people who like to live in woods and have best of architectures such as Ikea, without style and art.
    - Germans: very precise and cold people such as robot. We have many jokes about Germans, we sometimes laugh of them, for example about their look in clothing.. We are totally different from them but we respect very much them and we usually love Germany. (there was also a part of history where Italy and Germany was same Holy Roman Empire)
    - Austria: for us it is the same of Germans but we don’t like too much them for past wars
    - Spanish\Portoguese\French: we see them as our latin
    cousins\brothers and we like them very much. Perhaps a bit less the French, but only because they think they are superior to us and look down to Italians. (but it is a love\hate relation, we loves very much France and respect them so much for cultures and style, and feel them very close and similar to us)
    - Greek: we like them much (especially for our glorious common past) but here in north Italy I don’t know if they are really seen as brothers, because they are more far and more exotic people than latin countries above, but perhaps only because I know very little of Greek people and dont know any greek personally.
    - Romania: something we are related a bit but an exotic place, weird, with vampires and lovely women but with gypsies and criminals who comes in Italy to steal in our homes
    - British: a bit arrogant nordic people who watch down to us and are european only when they want and are outside europe for all other things (such pay debt for Greece..), but want anyway to lead and command.. but also we respect them.
    - Belgique: I don’t know, a mix of france and holland
    - Holland: tall nordic people, very liberal, who goes always in bicycle, have a lot of flowers (to smoke also..) and have capital with bitches in shops
    - Russia and East Europe: wonderful women but poor people, a bit mysterious and scary.
    - Croazia: especially Istria and Dalmazia was a land half italian and half slav for many centuries, so we feel a bit close to them (the landscape of villages are very close to ours) but sometimes there is a bit of bitterness between nationalists people in both countries.
    - Serbia and Jugoslavia: we like our neighbours in Adriatic sea, but they are sometimes seen as strange people, poor and warlike
    - Albania: close to south italy but we see them as dangerous, poor and with much criminals

    Comment by Aristide — June 30, 2010 @ 8:19 am

  472. Who cares? Everyone wants to be American. Everyone also knows Mexican food is the best food in the world.

    Comment by Nikki — July 6, 2010 @ 11:18 pm

  473. We spanish don’t need to hate anyone outside our borders because we hate each other so much like if we’ve fought 100 wars between us hehehe, as we call it The Iberian Show.

    Don’t even try to understand how a single spanish is without knowing what his real nationality is (basque, castillian, catalan, andaluz, galician, asturian, leonese, canarian …)

    And regards the portuguese people, they don’t hate us or atleast not as much as we hate the frenchs, some even like the idea of a united Iberia while spanish people tend to be indifferent towards Portugal (except galicians)

    Comment by Juanito — August 3, 2010 @ 2:41 pm

  474. SUMMER IN PORTUGAL = FLOOD OF SPANISH PEOPLE (especialy in the south – ALGARVE)

    yeah. keep saying you dont care about us. these days i have been listening to more spanish than portuguese in Portugal. LOL

    Comment by golden — August 12, 2010 @ 5:15 am

  475. swedes and norwegians love eachother – in general

    There is no hate there. We get along very well and talk about how much we want the muslims out of our territory. atleast we youngster boys

    We love the rivalism, and a typical norwegian sport attitude is “It’s okey to loose aslong as we beat the swe”

    danes are abit different. I dont think many norwegian youngsters think of the danes as much as brothers as the swedes – but norwegian adults with slight more perspective love Denmark.

    Comment by norwegian — August 17, 2010 @ 7:08 am

  476. about portuguese i have to say that they don’t like spanish and for example when they go to Spain they try to speak Spanish but Spaniards when they go to Portugal they dont use a single portuguese word.

    And Spanish people ignore Portugueses on TV, they can have a weather map of the whole Europe city except for Lisbon, they have places where they have lots of Europeans flag but no portuguese, in new year this year they shown in Madrid lots of european monuments but not a single portuguese

    Also Spanish stole Portuguese the city of Olivença and they dont give it to us and both goverments ignore it

    Brazilians think portugueses are dumb and Portugueses will have to change lots of their words to brazilian ones like \acto\ becomes \ato\

    Comment by Numa — August 18, 2010 @ 12:39 pm

  477. you didn’t talked about Portuguese because by not doing it you already stereotyped us as a insignificant country. (everybody does it)
    Nobody knows about us, our language and about our history. Spain takes all credit about the discoveries and everybody thinks Portuguese is a country that separated from Spain or a Spanish province and thats not true, we were independent long before spain was formed, the known spain is the joining of other kingdoms like Aragon and Castilla, and we took the initiative to kick out the moors that invaded Iberian province making Spanish job easier

    Some well known sayings
    “Where the hell is Portugal?”, “Is Portuguese a language?”, “Portuguese speak Spanish”, “Brazilians speaks Brazilian”, “Portugal == soccer” , “What Portuguese did in World History? i Dont Remember!”, “We are going to a concert in Lisbon, Spain”

    Comment by Sathold — August 18, 2010 @ 12:55 pm

  478. HETALIA!

    Comment by Arthur Kirkland — August 20, 2010 @ 8:37 pm

  479. I’m Dutch and i like Germans most of the time – i love their weird habitats and we have a love-hate relationship whit them. We don’t think Belgians are stupid and dumm, we just love to make jokes about them! And i really hate French people.. They don’t speak English and are arrogant. So lame. But meh.. you are pretty right about the rest! Had a good laugh though. Good job!

    Comment by Danielle — August 23, 2010 @ 3:03 pm

  480. Hey

    I’m Danish and I just want to say that it’s not the people of Denmark that are racist, but our government!…I know we elected the government, but many Danes now regrets that!…At the next election we will elect another government and then become a REAL socialist country:-)…I’m not very proud of our current way of doing things and many studies show that many Danes feel the same way!…

    We don’t hate Germans!…We’re making money on them!…They spend their holidays here and pretty much keep our business going:-)…And we go to Germany to buy cheap beer and candy!:-)…So, no general hate there!…It’s kind of an outdated assumption.

    Comment by MSS — September 28, 2010 @ 6:31 am

  481. I’m American and here’s what we think of Europeans- you all need to buy deodorant.

    Comment by Kyle — September 30, 2010 @ 4:32 am

  482. Kyle:I am European an i think you all Americans need to buy brains…most of people in the world do,though.
    I have more than enough deodorants,thank you very much.

    Comment by M — October 16, 2010 @ 6:12 am

  483. I´m sorry to remind you, that the Greeks are Europeans. Being European doesn´t make you superior nor inferior, as you all seem to believe. It´s question of culture, history, geography. Like it or not, Europe does not only mean lovely aryans with blonde hair and blue eyes.

    Greece of course is a part of the Balkans. Greece has been isolated from the rest of the Balkan states during many years due to diferent political systems. Furthermore, the greek culture is really diferent to that of the Slaves.

    Comment by valenciana — October 20, 2010 @ 4:38 pm

  484. Hi, I’m Spanish (Galician, specifically) and I can say that Spain did not really dislike any European except the Catalans at times.

    There are prejudices against the Catalans as there is a separatist minority and speaks of them worse than the Basques, although ETA.

    The stereotype Catalan is stingy and punditry. Likewise, many Catalans consider the Castilians arrogant, rude and somewhat uneducated.

    The media makes matters worse by continually reflect contempt in both directions.

    For a Galician, people of central Spain is more direct, determined and proud. We are more quiet and diplomatic, we are similar to Portuguese. For Madrid we are villagers.

    Andalusia is the country’s image outside of Spain. They are the most cheerful, loud and expressive of Spain. Andalusia is the Spain of sun, bullfighting, flamenco, siesta and relax at work. They’re the most religious. (Note: outside Andalusia flamenco is only for tourists and no worker sleeps two hours in the afternoon).

    Now I start with other countries:

    French: moody, proud, and seems they don’t like everyone else, especially the Spanish (from the Spanish point of view). They can be boring and not very expressive and when they speak seems to hardly open their mouths.
    The French outside of France are more friendly. They are elegant.

    English: politically correct but with an air of superiority. They keep talking about his empire. They do not reflect the emotions except when they are drunk. It is difficult to ascertain their feelings.
    Their attitude is polite but distant.
    We always talk about England but not in the UK. We don’t know how are the Welsh.

    Scottish and Irish: they are similar. They have a reputation for drinking and being friendly and kind. They are warmer than the English and we consider them more like us.

    Germany: we popularly call them square heads. We think they are very hardworking and practical-minded. They are unable to break the rules. They just work, eat and sleep. They change when they are in Spain.
    We still believe that they’re something racist. We think that the Swiss and Austrians are somewhat like Germans.

    Italian: very similar to Spanish, even physically. They are very concerned about their appearance and dress well. In general the girls love them. They have a reputation of not being sincere. They are more sexist than us but more attentive to women.

    Portuguese: We were like them 15 or 20 years ago. They are very polite, melancholy and somewhat resentful of Spain.
    The media never talk about Portugal. We always forget that they exist, when we speak about tha border we think in France border.
    Although this is not entirely true, Galician pay attention to Portuguese (Portuguese less than us, they do not distinguish us from the rest of the Spanish). If Portuguese and Spanish are brothers, Portuguese and Galician are twins.

    Greeks: if they are not Europeans, no one is European. They are noisy and impulsive. They’re like the Spanish.

    Netherlands: a place where there aren’t prohibitions. The Dutch tend to be kind.

    Sweden: no one in Spain speaks ill of Swedes. They are silent. The woman Swedes are tall, blonde and beautiful. We love the woman Swedes. (In general, we do not know what the rest of the people of the north).

    Comment by Sala Vetera — October 28, 2010 @ 7:48 am

  485. “Very few know that countries like Slovenia, Czech or Estonia have much higher standards of living than Greece, Portugal or even Ireland.”

    Yeah that’s because they don’t have higher standards of living in any sense. The so-called PIIGS are more advanced countries than Slovenia or the Czech Republic or Estonia. In ANY sense. Whether we’re talking about HDI, or GDP per capita or whatever. Get a clue.

    Comment by Jeeez — November 14, 2010 @ 5:55 am

  486. You are so right!

    I am Colombian, lived in Spain and yes, once they heard my Latin Accent they behave way weird and racist. Now I live in Germany.

    Comment by Susy — November 21, 2010 @ 1:10 pm

  487. I´m spaniard, i feel so bad for this attitudes between spaniards and portuguese people. We shoul be more united than ever. As spaniard, i don´t like that complacency wich Europe see us. Like us because we are associated with beaches, fun, friendly etc. I do´t like that because i think that isn´t the soul of spain, at all. Spain is the second country with the largest world heritage declared by UNESCO (behind Italy) and the world know us for the sangría, but i guess most of the world are dissapointed with it international image. As for the image that I have (i don´t want talk in the name of all spaniards) about my “hated and loved” european comreads would be:
    Portuguese people: more introverted than us (apparently, because i don´t think that spaniards are extroverts in the background, just to go to the party), melancholy (i love the word “saudade”: no othe language has a word to express a word to express a mod between melancholy, longin and joy), polite people, but I like our rough frankness more than their hypocritical education.
    French people: Stun me, have a mysterious halo, bothers me not knowing if I am treated with disdain or marke distances. The men who i knew are very affectionate, even helped me in bad situations (girls too, but i suposse i noticed more in males) have a facade of coolness but when they burst can are visceral and passionate. Great speakers. sometimes, i do not know how to treat them but i like french people.
    English: I think interacting with them is much better than with other european nationalities. I like their originality and individuality, I love their affectionate expressions (like when they call you honey and things like that) and their extravagance even their neuroticism, but I hate the use of double meaning and the use of covert conflict who like to use.
    Italians: They are simillar to spaniards in their sense of family and “good living”, i really think that they are more expressive, and extrovert, Spain feels great brotherhood with them and i think them with us too.
    Greeks: proud, fierce, incredible culture, i think that in their character, they are the most simillar to spaniards, and sorry for u assholes, but are parents of western civilization, from the canon of beauty, to architecture, governance…all thanks to them, or thanks to granpas, but i´m sure they retain the soul of ancient Greece.
    Germans: Very differents than spaniards, but loved here. We don´t understand their mentality, I like more the idea of individual german than in society, say they have a hard shell, but deep feelings and very sensitive, are too direct, sometimes seem to feel superior and it is difficult to deepen but when u gettin, have a great sense of loyalty.

    Comment by claudia — November 22, 2010 @ 6:18 pm

  488. Hi, I’m from Norway and I must say this article was very funny to read. But it also makes me sad!

    These are all prejudices and stigmas. For example, we love to call the Germans uptight and the Italians great lovers. However there are of course uptight Italians and great german lovers. These existing prejudices are just comic images we have of each other, not reality.

    I strongly believe you can find all sorts of people, both with positiv or negative traits, in whatever country you visit.

    With a scandinavian view, I’d say what really makes a difference in Europe is the degree of communcation you find on an open street. Mostly due to the the cold climate in northern Europe, people will be found walking fast from A to B, not really paying that much attention to each other. Whearas the further south you get, and the warmer the climate gets, the more people will sit outside, taking time to greet either friends or even strangers.
    This is my opinion. What do you think?

    Comment by NorwegianBlondie — November 29, 2010 @ 10:06 pm

  489. I think these sterotypes are a a thing from the past. Europe has changed a lot in the last 20 years!

    Comment by I love european culture — December 1, 2010 @ 9:42 am

  490. I am an Indian… never been to europe..
    But i do know a great deal about these civilizations..
    Firstly.. great job!… laughes my a** off!..
    Nex-tly i am a huge fan of the germans .. like most indians are.. for their industriousness and of course we know german efficiency.. kinda cliche!..
    But i love the fact that how germany shaped many of these inter european interactions or conflicts.. and how the other cultures responded to the same…
    but the biggest thing is.. how europeans take all this lightly and still continue cooperating striving to become the greatest nations on earth!..
    Just an afternote: British food really sucks!.. big time!
    Cheers!

    Comment by IceKing — January 2, 2011 @ 11:17 am

  491. The french are considered arrogant because they refuse to speak english :)
    and italians are loud corrupt bastards.

    Comment by Andreas — January 14, 2011 @ 5:54 pm

  492. I’m italian and here are my opinions:

    Hungarians – very educated (even the humblest bus driver in Budapest can talk to you about politics and culture of every country in the world) but poor people. Very hardworking and humble. They think that they can learn every language in the world because magyar is considered by many the most difficult language in Europe (although it is not an european language at all). They also like to remember their great footballers of the past, like Puskas and hate romanians, austrians, russians and every nation that invaded Hungary in the past. Hard drinkers

    Portugal – Ive been there many times due to profesional and personal reasons (my fiancee is galician with portuguese family). Less friendly people than their spanish neighbours, Introverted, reserved and shy. Yes, they have a strong complex of inferiority towards Spain and other Western European countries (although they seem to like us italians). NEVER say to a portuguese that Spain is superior in any sense to Portugal NEVER. Ambivalent atitude toward their former colonies: they dislike Africans (feel superior to them) and love brazilians (except the immigrants) and brazilian culture (soap operas, movies, music, etc), although they strongly resent the way that brazilians portray them in the brazilian media like the sopa operas (as stupid and uneducated peasants due to the portuguese immigrants in brazil being from rural and poor areas) and that brazilians just don’t give a damn about them and don’t feel any conection with Portugal at all (i’ve been there many times too due to familiar reasons), which make portuguese quite preoccupied with their opinion about Portugal. They also think that they are good language learners, same as the hungarians.

    Comment by Giacomo — January 26, 2011 @ 11:54 am

  493. Andreas

    “and italians are loud corrupt bastards.”

    have you ever been in Italy or meet italian people or do you repeat what you heard somewhere?

    Comment by Giacomo — January 26, 2011 @ 11:59 am

  494. When a western european sees a Bulgarian they say:
    “Damn, there goes another immigrant from that Slavic shithole”
    when he sees a Romanian he says:
    “Damn, another gypsy from Dracula land”
    when he sees a Hungarian:
    “Damn jew”

    Comment by Teodor — January 31, 2011 @ 12:05 pm

  495. Good, I’m Romanian. I’ve got to say smth … we are afraid of you all …. only do we manage to agree. What can I tell you about Italy…. honestly, I’m afraid to go there, ‘cause I don’t want to die there (a woman was killed in Rome because she was romanian), all of you think we are gypsies , everybody see us like idiots . ….we try a better life, but we can’t be accepted . and yet so primitive as we are, we went through a lot. We don’t live very well here…but we are used to this. And we know that you hate us….but we can’t choice…
    Sorry….i don’t speak very well English…

    Comment by Iulia — February 3, 2011 @ 1:57 pm

  496. First, a declaration – from the south of England thus according to the above posts hated by just about everybody.

    Second, as far as the comments between posters from established european countries are concerned this is all good fun and anybody who has travelled through Europe will know that the above stereotypes will not help at all in understanding the cultures or the people.

    Finally, the comments about the Roma/Gypsies are sickening and poisonous and if anybody can be bothered to prevent another holocaust they should do a little research about attitudes held in pre-WW2 Europe. I’m afraid that’s where my apparent one redeeming feature, my sense of humour, fails me.

    Comment by Tommy — February 19, 2011 @ 8:02 am

  497. LOL, good article, at least if you take it in a more or less humouristuc context.

    Being myself an Spaniard and traveling twice per month to deep France for professional reasons, I think Spain is a hugely popular country in France, as is Italy (even if, in both cases, stereotypes are common).

    Comment by FU1800 — March 6, 2011 @ 9:30 am

  498. There are ignorant people here, VERY ignorant.

    First, the author of the post, who doesn’t talk about the Portuguese.

    Second, the loser who said the Portuguese have an inferiority complex agaist Brazil? Are you freaking joking? I’m going to laugh all day long because of such an ignorant and ridiculous statement!

    Comment by Raquel — March 17, 2011 @ 12:05 pm

  499. Giacomo: we CAN’T STAND Brazilians!

    You don’t know a thing about the Portuguese.

    Comment by Raquel — March 17, 2011 @ 12:07 pm

  500. I’m a Finn and i loved this hahaha :D
    It’s true that our relationship with russians isn’t so good. :(

    And we make lots of fun about swedes but they are like brothers to us, messing up with sweden, messing up with us! :D

    Comment by Rebeccablack — April 4, 2011 @ 12:01 pm

  501. to JM

    actually European do choose a Muslim, non-ethnic European, Moroccan (or is it Turkish) to their government. Check the current mayor of Rotterdam. Dutch people are less prejudice than any other nation in Euro.

    Comment by Rizky — April 9, 2011 @ 9:58 pm

  502. hey hey hey

    firstly, excuse my English.

    secondly, I’m from Jakarta, Indonesia, you know, once called Batavia, capital of the Dutch East Indies, now a crappy congested city. studying in Holland/Poland for a total of 4 years. people from Jakarta (Batavians) are a mix of Portuguese, Dutch, Javanese, and Chinese, and also the Mardijkers (black slave). We have stereotypes about European too.

    Dutch: generally they are nice, humble people, with inferiority complex (because their country is kinda boring, with polder and cows hanging around). the youngster forgots about Indonesia, and tend to act as if they know everything. The old one (and the history-aware one) thought Indonesia as their glorious nostalgic past. I also think that the Dutch stereotyped the Moroccan as lazy and a charmer, potentially corrupt one. a Dutch-Indonesian mix is called an Indo, and most of them are singer in Holland, of artistic mind. In Indonesia, we have this long pillow called guling in Indonesian and ‘Dutchwife’ in English, because they are round and lay fixed on the bed. In Indonesia, gays talk with Dutch slang, like saying “I” as “Ik” (pronounced as “Eijke”)

    German: we still think them as ultra-racists. They resent helping foreigners if they speak non-Deutsch, even if they are tourists in emergency. If they do speak English, they will say “you are in my country, why don’t you speak German?”. They also walk very fast (tall body), probably because we Indonesians walk extremely slow.

    Belgian: I don’t know, but I think most Belgian friend I have has this dark brown curly wavy hair. They are very friendly to international people, and are often ambassador for new international students to the university.

    French: We though French men are very mellow, soft, almost gay, not your typical macho Moroccan. A french leader in an organization is not a good combination. They drive their car like crazy.

    Spanish: very helping and nice people. They walk in group and celebrates with their own Spanish-speaking group, mostly with the other Spanish-speaking fellow from Latin America, so our stereotype kinda mixed with this Latin American people. It is not hard to join their celebration, because they will usually invite all international people to their small gathering (unlike the Dutch or German, who don’t care if you exist)

    Portuguese: they colonize Indonesia back in the 16th century, so when I talked with them, they will always talk about how in the past they colonize the glorious archipelago of Indonesia, and slowly their mind will start to wander, and then awkward silent, lol. They are nice people though, very helping, not as loud as the Spanish though, kinda introverted.

    Italian: We can relate ourselves with Italian: corrupted and not well-organized. If there is an accident on the street, everybody will get involved with, blocking the street, stopping everything that supposed to pass the road, jamming bus line, tram, basically creating another havoc on the street. Like Indonesian, Italian like to mingle, talk, and just sitting beside the street, looking at passersby.

    Swedish: I have one Swedish friend. He is very nice, polite, and also very America-oriented. There are so many Swedish tourist in New Zealand and Aussie (2 countries close to Indonesia)

    Russian: Russian women have this full sexy lips, voluptuous face (what’s that??), and kinda sexual. They act like they know everything (talking with their Eastern European accent spy accent). The smart one usually love communism, the idiot one are capitalist with jewelries all over her body.

    English: I like discussing stuffs with an English. They often say “yeah…” or “right… ” with that typical English tone. They are also very commercially-oriented, not different with the Chinese people.

    Bulgarian: stayed here for 4 weeks, I think they are poverty-stricken, religious, very traditional and love their ethnic culture, and their food sucks! I had this soup and it is cold and just gross, and they give me this stone, but no, it’s a bread(!)

    Polish: love America, doesn’t speak English at all. I think they drink vodka to make them body warmer, walk coatless in the middle of cold night. they are also kinda horny and perverted.

    etc etc

    don’t get emotional over stereotype, it’s just a stereotype :-)

    Comment by Rizky — April 9, 2011 @ 10:45 pm

  503. [...] links about European stereotypes I shared on Skype earlier and are very relevant to this thread. Hetalia must have been based on this one. IT EVEN FORGOT PORTUGAL More entertaining, much more offensive. But probably also true. In other [...]

    Pingback by English Teataliaville (#7) - Page 24 - D.Gray-divinityNET — April 14, 2011 @ 9:39 pm

  504. The brittish have truelly the worst food.

    Comment by samuel welsh — April 15, 2011 @ 1:43 am

  505. The Scots hate the English but get very angry and go ballistic when we hate them back.

    Comment by Maltshouse — April 25, 2011 @ 3:29 am

  506. I am from Glasgow and am Scottish and can tell you right now only half of us are friendly, I’d consider myself one of them, some of us are very kind and helpful to anyone but there are some horrible people, neddish men and classless women with too much make-up on will shout abuse at people (Particularly the Polish) and it’s true alot of people hate the English for petty reasons.

    Here’s my views on countries:

    French – Im quite indifferent to them, I went on holiday when I was young there so can’t remember much but apparently the locals were rude (and as my dad put it “pussies” lol) but I don’t remember much.

    Spanish – Went on holiday to canaries and it was full of Spaniards and can honestly say I couldn’t have met more lovely (and sexy) mild mannered people.

    Germans – There were also alot of Germans at the Canaries and they were very loud, rude and obnoxious, I dared to run past one of them and I got the devils off them for the rest of my stay, nice. And also I held a door open for an old woman and she just walked past like she was god’s gift.

    Polish – Seem like ok people but god they’re idiots, some are bus drivers and they drive down the wrong roads and I miss my stop.

    Slovakians – Most of the holiday staff were Slovakian and they were all pompous, arrogant pricks who tried perving up every girl in site.

    Can’t say I know any other culture really but I want to know more about the Dutch, they are the soundest nation of the EU :)

    Comment by Jack — May 9, 2011 @ 6:10 pm

  507. I’m Romanian from Bucharest. First of all we hate ALL Russians for stealing parts of our country and imposing us the communist rule. The Ukrainians are just another type of Russians for us. About Hungarians: we don’t like our Hungarian minority (it is too mean and aggressive) but may admire the Hungarians from Hungary, we like Budapest more than Bucharest. The French: we used to love them but now we dislike them because of Sarkozy not allowing us to join Schengen area. Italians and Spaniards: we like them (we know they don’t like us and understand that) because they took our gypsies and cleaned Romania of them. Of course we hate the Gypsies. The Germans: we used to admire them but no more because they joined the French position on Schengen matter. The English: we have nothing against them but hate their tabloids always saying Gypsy beggars, squatters and thieves are Romanians. The Austrians: we hate their biggest bank and biggest oil company (they are big investors in Romania) for being too greedy.

    Comment by Petre — May 12, 2011 @ 1:49 pm

  508. Petre from Romania again. About Bulgarians: probably because the language barrier is too much (we are Latin and they are Slav) we don’t have many things to say about them. We consider them to be poorer than us (that might not be true!) and we are not too happy about the West always putting us in the same place (“Romania and Bulgaria did this, must do that”), probably we think we are better than them or something. We used to like Serbians for no good reason (I was treated far better in Croatia and Slovenia as a Romanian tourist). Oh, and I forgot Americans: yeah, we didn’t love them, we didn’t even like them, we think they are very ignorant and we think they sold Eastern Europe to the Russians after WW2 but now maybe we must change our view: after all, they welcomed us in NATO (we like Bush for that, not Clinton!!!) and now, Obama is building an antimissile shield, which will surely make the Russians think twice before attacking us again, as they did in WW2 (BEFORE we counter-attacked with German help!). So yeah, I think we are starting to really like the Americans, because now they are wiser than they used to be!

    Comment by Petre — May 14, 2011 @ 7:52 am

  509. This is really entertaining!
    I’m Portuguese, this is what the Portuguese generally think of other Europeans:

    The British: we all love the UK, especially England, but we don’t really think anything, good or bad, about the British.

    The French: we like Paris, the first thing that comes to our mind when someone says “France” is Tower Eiffel.
    We think their language is weird as hell but we like their croissants and their crepes.

    The Germans: we think they sound angry, and some jerks still think that Germany is full of nazis. However, most of us like them or don’t really have no opinion about them nowadays.

    The Spanish: we call them “nuestros hermanos”, which mean “our brothers” in Spanish. We make fun of them sometimes but that’s because we love them. :D We always vote for Spain in the Eurovision, too.
    They’re also known to be loud.

    The Italians: . We REALLY love their food, but many think they’re gay.

    The Finns: we used to think of Finland as “Nokialand”, but now we think of it as “They-all-hate-us-land”, or “They’d-kill-us-all-if-they-could-land”. Wellll anyway it’s kind of justified.

    The Russians: They drink lots of vodka, that’s all we know. We also associate them with communism. AND we think that their alphabet looks pretty cool.

    The Romanians: Almost every gypsie that lives here is from Romania, so our stereotype is pretty obvious.

    The Ukrainians: Most people think that the men are all poor and the women are all beautiful.

    The Greeks: We never meet Greeks… ever. I guess they just don’t come to Portugal. So we don’t have an opinion.

    The Dutch: Tall people…

    And my personal view:

    Everyone else is awesome and I was born in a small country that’s getting poor and that no one cares about. Hooray. :D

    Comment by Alice — May 17, 2011 @ 10:49 am

  510. @Alice “The Romanians: Almost every gypsie that lives here is from Romania, so our stereotype is pretty obvious.” Alice, I give you four reasons/explanations why you should NOT think the Romanians are Gypsies and why you have so many Gypsies from Romania. 1) The Gypsies are nomadic, it’s NORMAL for them to migrate all over Western Europe, which is a magnet for them because it’s a rich land. Romanians are not nomadic and they stay at home, that is why you only see Romanian Gypsies and not many white Romanians (which are anyway harder to spot because they seem to be western). 2) The Gypsies couldn’t go to West Europe until a few years ago because the borders were closed because of communism. Their natural migration was stopped by the Iron Curtain. 3) Romania is a big country, so Romania had many Gypsies. Two million Gypsies make no more than 8 percent of Romania’s total population. And I think that over half of them are now living in Western Europe. 4) Watch sports on TV to see how Romanians look! Not football, it’s a sport for Gypsies in Romania just like basketball is for blacks in USA.

    Comment by Petre — May 18, 2011 @ 5:43 pm

  511. @Petre
    Read the last part of my post! I never said I believed in any of those stereotypes – just what people think in Portugal. My great-great-grandmother was from Romania.

    Comment by Alice — May 19, 2011 @ 4:01 pm

  512. “and if you remind them that the Dutch national anthem makes a reference to the Dutch being “van Duitse bloed” (from German blood), you might quickly get the silent treatment”

    van Duitse bloed doesn’t mean from German blood. It means from ‘Dietse bloed’ and that is Old dutch so no reference to germany,
    btw I really like German and dutch humor. I hate english humor stupid Mr.Bean slapstick..

    Comment by lalila — June 13, 2011 @ 6:10 am

  513. Allow me to add another point of view regarding Romania. First of all, anyone who is not in tune with history or geography, please make a clear distinction between Roman (Roman Empire/citizen of contemporary Rome) and Romanian (modern-day latin people residing in Romania/citizen of Romania/latin language spoken in Romania since antiquity).

    As a Romanian, I must agree with the comments above stating that Romanians generally(!) admire the French and profoundly dislike the Russians and Hungarians. History plays an essential role in determining one regions’ sympathies for others, and for other countries and peoples.

    As an inhabitant of Brasov, region of Transylvania (Sieben-burgen), I have observed some interesting attitudes within the country. Transylvanians (which declare themselves as 3/4 Romanian, 1/5 Hungarian, <1% German) are usually seen as softer, more polite and historically more industrious than Moldavians (East) and Wallachians (South), while people from these areas are known to be more rude, short-tempered and uncivilized, but more passionate. There is also a general enmity between the South, East and most of Romanian Transylvanians on one side, and Hungarians on the other. The latter claim that Transylvania is part of Greater Hungary, while the Romanians reject the ethnic Hungarians' claims and accuse their refusal to speak Romanian. The ethnics are seen as cold and distant towards Romanians, while these are said to be over-nationalistic and disrespectful towards said ethnics.

    The environment of people is quite important. While in the countryside (characterized above as 19th-century like; I think that for villages not very, but rather near to cities, that is about right, while for more remote areas, it would be a mild description), people, living in small communities, having low incomes and much work to do, care less about these issues and cohabit relatively preacefully, while in the city, there is more room for debate over various demographical and historical arguments.

    As someone passionate about the architectural heritage of my region, let me simply point out that, although Romanians currently are and historically have always been in majority in Transylvania, the largest part of what anyone describes as being beautiful in Romania, was built in Siebenburgen by the Saxons and Hungarians. The unification with Romania of 1918 has brought, along numerous positive aspects, many cultural losses. We must always consider, understand and respect the past, when analyzing the present. Only then will we be able to make good decisions. (Speaking of level of living) This, I suppose, applies to all of Europe.

    Thank You.

    P.S. @tats, (regarding Theo's March 28, 2009 comment quote "[...] Romania: near Transylvania [...]" end quote) posted April 16, 2009, quote "I am American. [...] Transilvania is a town in Romania not next to. Making it seem like Americans are that ignorant is harsh." : … why ?

    Comment by BogdyBBA — June 17, 2011 @ 4:47 pm

  514. From a Welsh perspective:

    Germans – ok actually. Similar culture. Get on well with them.

    French – Parisians generally arrogant, but getting better (based on recent trip).

    Spanish – hot tempered,

    Czechs – cold and yellow (capitulated to the Germans), weak and rude. Some are polite though.

    Ukranians – polite and serious

    Poles – hard working but friendly and open.

    Dutch – liberal, sociable

    Swedes – opem minded, tolerent, polite but a bit distant

    Scottish – warm people

    English – mixed; some friendly and genuinely warm and kind people. Others can be more cold, two faced and calculating

    Serbs – got on with them. Friendly warm people but can be stubborn and maybe possess a complex

    Bosnians – warm but tough

    Croatians – mixed

    South Africans – easy to get on with, proud and macho culture. Love their rugby.

    Comment by Ant — June 20, 2011 @ 4:16 pm

  515. What a bunch of ignorants! The few who talked about Portugal know nothing about the country (saying we love Brazilians and we have inferiority complex! LMAO) and some (AKA comment above) even think South AFRICA is European, but forget other countries! Oh well….

    Comment by Me — July 3, 2011 @ 10:42 am

  516. I’m Brazilian. Interesting topic, i couldn’t stop reading it.

    About Portugal, i don’t know why the portuguese consider themselves ”shy” or ”introverted” – they were a powerful naval potence in the past, and brought many aspects of it’s culture. The vast majority of brazilians have portuguese blood in it’s veins, beyond that of indians and/or afro-descendants. And many of our writers, erudites and important cultural personalities were from the land of the ”fado”, or studied there.

    We share the same language (portuguese) with some few differences, various kinds of food, cultural influences and the like.

    Why some portuguese people just hate/despise us? We are a cosmopolitan and flourishing country, almost a continent. We are far from being racists, our slogan is ”a country for all” (um país de todos).

    What i don’t understand is why the Portuguese don’t like us as England likes the US?

    If we brazilians have jokes about portugueses, it’s only because of the Tordesilhas Treaty ( the one that would give Portugal a 30 per cent portion of Brazil, and 70 for Spain).

    Some data on European influence on Brazil:

    The South-Eastern region is the most developed, with Rio de Janeiro and it’s beaches (and portuguese influence)/ São Paulo and it’s a huge industrialized region (HEAVILY influenced by italian and japanese immigrants… they have the best pizza and sushi on Earth outside Italy and Japan!)

    The South region (where i live) is all cold weather and a wannabe mini-Europe. Immigrants from all over europe came to this region: Italians, Germans, Poles ( my cousin danced at Wisla, a pole folcloric dance group), Czechs, Spaniards, Russian, Ukraine, Dutch, Belgium, Greeks (i myself know lots of greek ancestry friends), some French and English immigrants, too.

    The capital city of my state (where i study) is Curitiba, a futuristic city with european architecture and high-tech bus stations with the shape of glass tubes.It has most of european immigrants from the rest of state (mainly the ones i wrote above).

    I was born in a city called Paranagua, with DIRECT influence of Portugal. It was the first city of my state, with a giant harbor named Dom Pedro II. (Yes, the portuguese emperor came here) It’s a beautiful,historical, magical city, with portuguese architecture and great portuguese solars and fountains. ( my family is not portuguese though, it’s from direct Catalan ancestry). Most of the immigrants that came here were portuguese, lebanese, greek, german and italian. It’s 80 km far from Curitiba (Curitiba is in the mountains, Paranagua in the coast)

    Unfortunately, many of us of the south region took the same racial / ethnic prejudice of the europeans: there are many southern brazilians that want the region detached from the country, being an independent territory. There are neonazi and racist and conservative scum, just like Europe. A truly SHAME brought to this country. For european standards , i would pass easy as white – i’m pale, actually; but i hate racial prejudice. (Race doesn’t exist, except the Human race)

    The North-East region is dry and desertic, the poorest region in the territory. Except for Recife and Olinda, two cities developed by the Dutch and the French(when they invaded ). It has beaches with waters as blue as Greece’s.

    The North region is the stereotyped image of the country: heavy rain forests, the Amazon, swampy houses, dangerous rivers and the like.There was the influence of some english immigrants, but they were few.

    The Center-West is full of plains and pasture.

    Overall we receive well immigrants and tourists from every country, and we don’t hate anyone. We tend to love Italians ( parties, wine, dances, festivals, art, PIZZA / LASAGNA/ pasta in general) ; like the German (in south, mainly) : they’re honest and work hard (sausage, beer, chucrute, kukka, oktoberfest, chopp) the portuguese ( fado, bolinho de bacalhau, pastelzinho de belém, azeite de oliva, navegação, catholicism (ok, some of us. not myself), all of our architecture, bohemia, literary culture, belle epoque …the Dutch ( Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen developing the science and arts in Pernambuco) and many oyhers. Well, in abstract, we are cosmopolitans, that’s it ;)

    As for me, personally… i LOVE Greece! Se agapw, ellas! Teleia, ourania, wraia! Land of the art, political science, architecture, beauty, sciences, the Byzantine Empire, orthodox church, the beautiful islands (Mykonos, Santorini, Naxos and lots of them), warm, kind and romantic people; the forefathers of our western civilization!

    Na se kala, Ellas ;)

    (and a fraternal and sincere hug to all europeans here, i wish the Old World overcome its differences and become a truly Union , rich of beautiful cultures and ethnicities developing each other, a cosmopolitan and friendly continent in the near future )

    Comment by BrazilianSurfer — July 21, 2011 @ 9:02 pm

  517. It’s safe to say that Brazilians adore Europeans. I have yet to meet a Brazilian who really cared about anything except European culture. This is probably related to the obsession with white skin in their culture. Sorry, but it’s true.

    Comment by JM — July 22, 2011 @ 1:32 pm

  518. JM, not that much. Remember, we live in a paradise. In the past, every trend or fashion came from Europe. But we are developing our own trends,fashion and culture, and exporting it to the rest of the world.

    The Old Word no longer is our ”model”, the US neither.

    There is a general feeling of pride in being a Brazilian, and that has nothing to do with ”white skin”.

    Our supermodels, by the way, are the epitome of mixed origin ;)

    as i said, we’re a cosmopolitan country, without racial prejudices.

    Comment by BrazilianSurfer — July 23, 2011 @ 10:32 pm

  519. “Without racial prejudices”? You mean unlike every other country on the planet?

    Of course I’m joking. Brazil has TONS of racial problems. It would do your country some good if you were to recognize and confront them, instead of pretending they don’t exist. I think Brazil is a terrific country, with a wonderful culture, but maybe a little delusional when it comes to its internal conflicts around race.

    Every Brazilian I’ve ever met – including you – seems to gravitate towards Europe as a cultural touchstone. Brazilians overwhelmingly travel to Europe and care what Europeans think of them. The Brazilian mind hasn’t yet become decolonized. And your supermodels are all very European looking (maybe some a bit more tan than others, but still overwhelmingly European-looking); despite most of your country having African blood, you have no Tyra Banks or Naomi Campbell. Have you ever wondered why that’s the case?

    But I do agree Brazilians are very proud of being Brazilian. But they are really concerned with Europeans knowing and understanding this. See what I mean?

    Comment by JM — July 25, 2011 @ 12:16 pm

  520. JM, you have a point.

    ( unfortunately, yes, many of our models do come from the south region; for the same reason you told )

    But about the ” I do agree Brazilians are very proud of being Brazilian. But they are really concerned with Europeans knowing and understanding this. ” , the pride is not because of exaggerated nationalism or/and ethnic prejudices.

    We may have some cases of racial problems, but it isn’t the HUGE ( xenophobic) view that many european citizens showed in this topic.Hell, they discriminate even people from their own continent! We don’t discriminate Colombians, Venezuelans, Chileans, Bolivians or the others. We even call the Argentinians brothers, despite the (fool) historic rivalry on soccer.

    But speaking of Europe, I saw a research that showed 1/3 of europeans wanted non-europeans out of their country (mostly muslims, gypsies, jews, and other ”scapegoats”). They let the ”identity crisis” or old resentments take their minds and blame all the [ethnic ] minorities for unemployment, financial crisis, crime levels and the like. Worse, some radical-right parties even use that feeling as parasites uses its hosts.

    (I’m not talking about ALL europeans… but about a big part of them).

    Think for a moment, what would be if you was a muslim with gypsy origin and black skin , living in an european country?

    I admire Europe, but i really despise the open xenophobia that many european citizens have. For a ”civilized” , ”metropolitan” continent, it haven’t evolved much in the last centuries, in this issue at least.I wouldn’t exchange Brazil for Europe because of that.

    But i (as any Brazilian) would receive well any european. Why don’t Europe do the same with non-european peoples? Isn’t it fair, to ask for the same respect / friendly treatment?

    I invite the participants of this forum ( Portuguese included) to show their opinion, or ”stereotype” about Brazil , for a matter of curiosity (and NOT inferiority complex or something like that).

    Comment by BrazilianSurfer — July 25, 2011 @ 3:37 pm

  521. A czech point of view

    The Germans
    There is still some dislike for WW2 although Czechs do both respect and mock German tendency to have things in order. Czechs also dislike the notion they surrendered in 1938 without a fight because they feel it was either surrender or a crushing defeat. There is some envy towards the Germans in terms of the better living conditions.

    The Austrians
    The Austrians are hated for their snobbism and about 400 years of control of Czechs. The fact that Hitler was Austrian and the eagerness with which Austrians jumped to bed with Germans also don’t help. It can be said Czechs observe the situation where nobody cares about Austrians anymore very gleefully. It’s also quite possible that strong support for nuclear energy is a czech way of spiting the Germans and the Austrians.

    The Slovaks
    The Slovaks are seen as younger brothers. But as brothers, they are also mocked for they nationalism and hotheadness. Czechs feel superior to Slovaks because of the state Slovaks were in when Czechoslovakia came to be.

    The Hungarians
    The Hungarians used to be hated but with the split of Czech Republic and Slovakia, the hate is probably only a relict of Good Soldier Švejk. Hungarians are mocked for their language.

    The Poles
    There isn’t really an interest in Poles in Czech Republic. While Poles seem to like us for the way we view life, Czechs view Poland as a country where you can find peasants and God, neither of which is very appealing to Czechs. Poles are thought of as religious fundamentalists and nationalists who fought everytime and got horribly slaughtered but are mostly harmless to Czechs.

    The Russians
    Russians are hated as a nation. An individual who moved here is usually welcomed as someone who got some sense and moved out of Russia. The hate stems from the 40 year long communistic reign, invasion in 1968 and coup of 1948. Overall Russia is viewed as a country with imperialistic tendencies that can never change and which will always treat its dictators as heroes.

    Comment by Karel — August 11, 2011 @ 12:08 pm

  522. I am japanese and I live in france for 2 years. I travelled a lot in europe. In my personal opinion, I like british and french, the culture and food.Besides the french peope are very warm-hearted, and serious as well, but it’s true some of them are lazy.
    And then I respect Italy, it’s the most beautiful country I habe ever been to. I don’t like the swiss and the germans, too arrogant, very rude.The germans always treat others like they are from a third world country. What do the germans have? nice cars, technology. Come on the french technicien make airplanes. well one more thing, The germans decided to quit nuclear energy (claiming protect the environment) before 2020, after came back from japan (by the way they are the first to quit) but they still buy nuclear energy from their neighbours. To me they are very hypocritical…

    Comment by Kiroro — August 14, 2011 @ 11:24 am

  523. I am another Romanian and I would like to break the stereotypes about my country a little.
    First of all, we should not use the word “hate” when we talk about our neighbor countries, we don’t hate anybody, we – as showed above – like to express ourselves in this way but at individual level, we do not care where anybody is from, as long as they are educated.
    Secondly, Romania always loved the Americans (and not because Bush helped us get into NATO, that is one of the biggest nonsense I ever heard), just because after the revolution everything media was American and obviously we were very much influenced by them. Most of Romanians speak very good English.

    Most of Romanians speak English and at least another foreign language – French & German are the most popular, as Austria is basically the biggest investor here.

    About our neighbors, yes we have some animosity for the Russians but for the new generation it has absolutely no sense (I am 30 so I lived through the revolution), it slowly dissolves.

    We like Americans and their culture and freedom, a lot of Romanian young entrepreneurs choose US to develop their businesses, as they find support and assistance there, so there is a general appreciation of the States and everything they represent (technological advancement, science etc).

    Comment by Andreea — August 27, 2011 @ 11:27 am

  524. An old Brit ( 60 yrs ). I stumbled onto this site which is a great read. My grandparents on my mums side were from the Irish republic, so seen those cultures from both sides, I live in London, and sorry to spoil people’s misconceptions but generally we get on just fine with the Irish. One post said that the English dislike the French, sorry, afraid this is generally true, but we always make exceptions for individuals. As for other world citizens we generally find them interesting from a distance because being an island we are culturally isolated from them with the exception of the english speaking countries, (which is quite a substantial proportion of the world). As for the Germans, we just find them a bit machine like, my dad was a WW2 (which we won by the way) veteran and was taken prisoner in France, but never disrespected them. What we Londoners find amusing about the countries that slate us is the massive amount of their citizens who find this terrible place hard to leave once, strange thing hate.

    Comment by Alan — August 29, 2011 @ 8:45 am

  525. As an english girl im fed up of stumbling across sites like these and seeing the amount of stereotyping and hostility.And you wonder why we prefer countries like the US ,Canada and Australlia……..Out of all the countries in Europe it always seems to be the UK who gets tons of abuse and I dont see why.You all seem to be looking at our problems insted of your own.We dont hate most of Europe we just dont like being part of it because we like to be independant and different its in our culture,we love being unique and like the fact you look at us like were strange and dont undertand our humour its all part of the joke.Plus you guys say we have weird humour when the Us ,Canada and other countries all understand it and we can have a laugh with them.We like to take the make jokes about other countries but its all part of the humour its something europeans have to learn to understand.We are definetely not arrogant or snobby have you seen the amount of british people putting their own county down?I have travelled a lot and I can say that Britsh people are definetely the best and most friendliest people i’ve met who else calls eachother pet,sweetheart,love when they dont even know eachother.The Scottish and Welsh dont hate us there in the same country as us.How dare people come on here and think they know everything about the UK when most of you know nothing you dont understand Britain and you never will.We have the same banter as the Scottish and Welsh its all fun and games,yes we might take the piss out if eachother but its all in the humour.Ive seen a number of people label us an ugly and unclassy which is completely untrue I can walk about in and town in the UK and see hundreds of gorgeous girls and handsome men not to mention all our actresses and models.Yes we do tend to let go a bit on holiday but hey its not only us.One minute you label british people as too uptight and then the next minute they are easy and unclassy.Make your mind up.Its only the minority of british people that are either of them stereotypes and believe me i’ve seen my fare share of that in every other nationality.Even of some of us are arrogant we have a right to be we live in one of the most beautiful and fairest countires on the planet.Just because you dont understand Britain and its culture doesnt mean you have the roght to label it and make fun out of it.Yes London may be full of ride people but thats what happend when your in massive busy cities and loads of people in London arent even british! I find it hilarious how some people can say we have no culture hmm… the best music in the world even in todays time just look at all of our indie and folk bands,we have great films James Bonds,Harry Potter,fashion,literature!,individualtiy ,humour …… .You wonder why we dont like most Europeans well just look at some of the comments we get on the interent it only seems to be Europe that offends us.We may be the U’s lapdog but they love it when they all come over here and get excoted over our accents and culture we get along with them and its the same for other non-european countries including China and Japan we respect them.And about that drinking sutff look on all the listd ofr the heaviest drinking countires and Britain is not on that list and ven if some of us are so what we like to have fun.Thats why we like being weird :) .We could sit there and say just as much bad things about you guys but we decide to keep out mouth shut.Because were british we have some sense.Most of you dont give us all the respect that we desreve you may think that sounds arrogant but its true,we didnt have to join in world war two we went in becuase Poland was under attack,Many people thought we would lose but we kept the spirit and won for the sake of Europe.We’ve gave Europe inventions,scientific discoveries,culture, Tv,film and a good laugh :) If it wasnt for us whether you wanna belive it or not Europe wouldnt be as great as it is.No matter what you think we are actually very emotional and deap people read our poetry and books and see.You can say what you like about us but when you want to come over to the Uk for living and studying its all fine and dandy.The best thing is we could sit there and take the piss out of you but you’d never be able to tell because you dont understand our humour .We say bad things aobut your country when you say bad stuff about ours.All that rubbish about us not trying to learn languages is just an excuse necause you know damn right that its easier for yours to learn english not only for english people but fot the redt of the world you cant communicate with anyone outside of Europe if you dont speak english you think anhy americans or aisans are gonna speak german or french.Strangely enought the world doesnt revolve around Europe alone.

    We have good and bad impressions of countires in Europe
    Scandanavians-We tend to like them they make good music and there nice and good to have a laugh with.Also they dont have many bad things to say about us.Also there scenery and geography is amazing.
    Spainairds-There nice,we dont think there lazy I think they know how to enjoy life,they have a beautiful country in terms of culture and scenery.They can be a little bit up themselves in a sense that they think there all so handomse and look down on us as typical british tourists.I’ve seen the same amount of unattractive spainairds as I have seen brits.
    France-We dont hate them it all depends on the individual you’re talking to.Older people tend to be negative because of the fact there older and are more intact with history and the older ways.We love their culture, food,fashion although sometimes they seem a bit all show and so substance.They quit in world war two which is something we dont like there seen as a bit cowardly and un-cooperative and tend to run away and cry when times get hard.But that might just be our strong british fighting spirit.It is mainly a love hate realtionshipwhen you see British people coming out of Tesco with bottles of french wine and booking holidays to France you can probably see why.I think in general we get along with them in person and I think were getting better.Were also not that different with them,theres a bit of competition we have the best literature closely followed by France,Paris and London are both some of the most visitied cities in Europe,were both known for fashion ect but in different ways.ours is bold and theres in chic :) .I have a sneaky suspicion that they dont hate us all that much aswell :)
    There is a thing about them being rude and arrogant which sometimes is true a frined of mine went to Paris and said the people were horrible but I think otherwise.I dont listen to tales and stories.When you look at the amount of french people living and studying in England you can come to the conclusion that we dont hate eachother,however when theres a rugby or football match on we do.Its like you always have to rival and have competition with the ones closets to you and they are close to u geographicallyMy secondary school was full of french teachers(from France).Brits dont hate people because of history otherwise we’d hate Denmark and Iceland because of the Vikings and Italy because of the Romans.
    Germany-They dont have a good reputation with us but we always make room for the indiviadual if your good to us were good to you simpe as that-its common sense.Obviously theres the whole world war teo thing but they only happen thorughout secondary school when kids are immature like that.One thing we do think about them is that they are cold, arrogant and unfriendly .They never smile and dont seem to make an effort to talk to you i’d prefer a drunken brit anyday.On their own there very nice but in a group there horrible.How can you call British people arrogant?have you seen Germans.There seen as ugly aswell .Germans are just as bad as us aboroad and yet we get all the blame.At least were nice drunk and sober.
    Italy-Nice food and culture,arrogant players take adavntafge of women,like to think there the best looking people on the planet when there not,far from it.
    Eastern Europe-Yes you are seen as immigrants but at least we let you into our country in some parts of the world it would be a whole different situation believe me.and Poland we went into world war two for you remeber that next time you slag us off.But in general as people you are seen as nice.Although we are a bit scared of Russia.Then again we dont have much contact with you guys so we cant say much and you cant say much about us.
    However Americans we do not hate yes I think everyone admits they can be a bit annoying but all the stuff aobut them being fat is just secondary school talk like what the teengae boys to on Call of Duty.You seem to like us and we like it when then buzz over our accents and say nice things about our country which they do a lot of,we may be their lapdog but sometimes it seems like there theonly people who would ever stand up for us.

    Comment by Anna — September 3, 2011 @ 3:37 pm

  526. Yes I know Scandanavia isnt one counry but we dont see much difference in the countries xxx

    Comment by Anna — September 3, 2011 @ 3:54 pm

  527. And for all those poeple saying how badly trat they were inLondon well thats London its not the whole of England

    Comment by Anna — September 3, 2011 @ 4:38 pm

  528. Everyone likes the scandinavian ; )

    Comment by Norwegian Girl — September 6, 2011 @ 6:13 am

  529. I have found this thread very entertaining.

    I am a southern English woman so I am hated by everyone according to this thread.

    I have learnt French, Spanish and German to conversational levels but what puts me off going to the European mainland for extended periods of time is all the stereotyping I face from ignorant people.

    It’s always about our food, our teeth or it’s something else. Btw, I LIKE our traditional dishes, we can cook, our teeth are fine and we do have dentists!

    Yet, we have a staggering amount of people wanting to live, study and work in England from all over the world. For a nation that seems so disliked on the internet, it seems really bizarre!

    It’s almost like people just want to ‘bash” the English just because they are English!

    Yet, I hardly hear any reference to all the things that the English do well. Such as
    - our music scene,
    - our literature ie. Harry Potter,
    - our shows such as Mr Bean, Dr Who etc
    - universities such as Cambridge and Oxford
    - overall policing skills,
    - our stunning varied countryside
    - etc

    Entertaining though this thread is, I hate it when people believe in stereotypes and not recognising that people are people no matter where you go.

    Btw, I am English and I LIKE the French – especially when they refuse to speak English as I can then practice my French – LOL!

    Comment by Ana — September 6, 2011 @ 6:17 am

  530. Personally I like the UK. Great music, beautiful country, unique culture and sense of humour. Been there many times.
    I’m from Greece.

    Comment by John — September 8, 2011 @ 1:05 pm

  531. How dare you say Brits are lapdogs of the bloody Americans?!

    Study more and bs less.

    Greetings from Hong Kong.

    Comment by Caxton — September 11, 2011 @ 12:37 pm

  532. I’m Croatian, so I’m gonna write a few words about our opinion of other nations. Croatians generally hate everyone, but when you come to Croatia, you can see that people are very hospitable and very welcoming to everybody because of their Balkan mentality. (but they’re not hospitable as for example serbians and Bosnians). Croatians generally don’t like to be regarded as Balkan people because we like to think of ourselves like we’re western modern country. We tend to hate everyone.

    Serbs- Balkan tribe, concidered as slaughters, fighting in wars but always losing, very self-loving, and proud of their heroic past (they were 500 years among Turks) but very funny, with great films and great sense of humour. Their music sucks because they listen to turbofolk music which is very annoying and very unlistenable in other parts of europe. Generally, they are very hospitable and kind people. After the war they are very hospitable towards Croats because they feel guily about what happened, but Croats are also kind to them. (I’m not speaking of right-wing haters, but normal people) Lot of time jokes are told about their desire for territories, and their heroism in wars. Generally there’s sexual tension between Croats and Serbs. Croats think of Serb women as one of the most beautiful. We like to make fun of their opinion about Russians, they like to think that Russia is their “mother”, and keep their interests, orthodox church is similar, they write cryllic letter like russians etc. – they have saying ” We and Russians 300 millions of us”

    Slovenia – called Alpian Serbs because they like Serbs more than Croatians. Croatians don’t like them very much but have nothing against them. Croatians like to compare to them because we left Yugoslavia together. Slovenians like to think of themselves like they’re better than other parts of yugoslavia, and croatians like to joke with their size of the country. Slovenians are also mentioned as ass-kissers of austria and italy. Generally nice people, they love coming to our sea, and generally they don’t have problems with us, nor we with them.Jokes are told that only Serbians and Bosnians live there and that there’s no true slovene anymore.

    Hugary – nothing with them, beautiful women, and lately they come to our sea, and have a lot of money.

    Bosnia- They are very nice and hospitable, have good food, great sense of humor, generally considered as non working, funny, construction workers. Country that has a lot of problems, economical, and religious. Forces of UN are still there, and they have High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is main authorithy. Jokes are made of them, but they also make jokes of themselves, and are very funny, and have great alcohol – rakija, which makes them great for company. One part of Bosnia ( Hercegovina) is populated with lot of Croatians that came to capital of Croatia, Zagreb, and are known as religious, falmily – connected, nepotists, have strong connections, work as directors, smugglers, not very good opinion of them eventhough they’re croats.

    Montenegro – Lazy non – working complaining people, generally we don’t like them becuase of their connections with Serbs, and attacking of Dubrovnik, but lately there are good connections between two nations.

    Macedonia – nothing much, except they have a lot of problems with Greeks about name of the country, they have similar language as bulgarians. Generally we like them.

    Italy – Cheap, rude and loud people, don’t speak any language but italian (which I learnt in school and know it), they are arrogant, and their guys seem to be like homosexuals, very fashion people, they always want to cheat you, disrescpetful to other cultures, think of themselves as of great nation. there are execptions that are very nice people and like to apologize of the majority. Croats think of them as of cowards, they’d like to have Istria and Dalmatia, and during the history they tried to conquer it, (WW2)

    Germany – country that croats like to think of as of their mother, like to think that everything that is german, that functuons, like their order, people like their sense of organization, Croatian consider them as hard working people. Very, extremly polite people, educated, with manners, speak english, generally nice and calm people.

    Austria – similar to Germany, but have a lot of interest in Croatian banks, telecommunications, etc. Croatians are considered like “wienna horsemans” because of their rule over Croatia for centuries.

    French – cowards that don’t deserve to have that power.

    Spaniards – we don’t know a lot about them, but we think of them as of singing nation, flamenco nation, beuatiful women.

    Greeks – arrogant, balkan nation, very dark, have great history, people consider them as lazy, non working men, they used all EU money and did nothing, they have high salaries for little work, they spend all EU fonds and money, and expect EU to rescue them.

    Romania – gypsy country, peasant country, country of securitate, and Causescu,

    Bulgaria – same as Romania, we think of them as of Balkan country, a lot of gypsies, with pop folk music, generally black skin people , peasant country, but very nice and hospitable people, balkan style, not a lot of connections with them,

    Russians – peasant country, they drink a lot, have no style, think of themselves like of great and though nation, country of great artists, writers, musicians,

    Slovaks – nice country, nice people, similar languages,

    Poles – chubby, funny, nice looking ladies, good hearted, big nation with sad history, lot of people, nice wodka,

    Czechs – most beautiful women, ugliest and most unstylish men, have no money but like to travel a lot, they like to come to our seaside equiped with thteir food, water and gas because it’s cheaper in their country, they are countryside men, they look like fashion was delayed for 20 years, like to wear white socks and sandals, croatians like to make fun of them, and like to chase their women because of their beauty and easyness, croatians women think of their men as of peasent farm unstylish boys with ugly haircuts, very cheap, think of croatians as of bunch of stealers, a lot of them die on sea because they underestimate it, croatians make fun of them because they always have sunbursts because they want to show that they’ve been on vacation when they return to C. R. , don’t speak english, ….. etc. but generally they tend to be nice, waiters don’t like them because of their untiping,….

    English – dominant, impeaialist country, ugly people with ugly theets, bad food, very arrogant,

    Irish – people like them because of their history, and their opposition towards english, chatolics,…

    Americans – bunch of retarded idiots, ignorant and fat nation in general, imperialists,

    Daily Candor: Croatians = ass-kiss the Germans (still!) and hate everyone else (probably comes from loving Germans so much)

    Comment by Goran i Gabrijela — September 14, 2011 @ 7:44 pm

  533. I see much ‘bla bla’ around here, so let me say something about some countries:

    FRENCH = Stinky snobs who don’t shave. Narcissists and megalomaniacs too.

    GERMANS = Ich will beer. Many nazis. >:) Great sado-maso porn, too. Don’t mention the mustache guy.

    SPANISH = Torro! Stick some swords in a bull! Say Mexico and you’re burned.

    ENGLISH = Other snobs who were punks in the past. Merlin and wizardry source.

    ITALIANS = Pizza, pasta, pizza, pasta, tomato sauce, some perverted gays around there.

    IRISH = Poor, but happy, cause they’re drunk all the time. The cats scare me.

    SCOTS = Scary medieval views. Many ghosts.

    ROMANIANS = Very, very, very stupid and the ugly, barely human. Real embarrassment to real Europeans. (This is no stereotype but the actually truth)

    NORDICS = If you go there you risk meeting Santa Claus and Vikings.

    NETHERLANDS = You’ll get laid for sure. Lots of sex clubs. The source of waffles.

    RUSSIANS = Weird and cold. Don’t wander too far, in Siberia.

    AUSTRIA = Holy mother of Mozart. The statues are too freaky.

    SWITZERLAND = You’ll get milky chocolate in the snowy mountains from the happy cows.

    HUNGARY = Yucky people who think everything belongs to them. A goth girl stared nastily at me there.

    BULGARIANS = Poor. They give nasty glares to the Romanians and Russians who go there and eat like pigs in the summer holidays.

    GREEKS = Stinky, lazy lot that protests all the time.
    Sparta is not real anymore, it’s a trick.

    I’ll add TURKS= Barbaric, brownish people. Kinda like Arabs.

    Howdy hoo, Mr. Hanky is out!

    Comment by Perverted and offensive — September 22, 2011 @ 9:19 am

  534. 11. TO THE IGNORANT DUCH WHO WROTE ITEM 11.

    First of all I am going to use my language because I love it… it is your problem little Dutch if you don´t urdestand… Just let you know that I am married to a Dutch man, have two children ..so I know very well what I am talking about, I have been living in Hollang for some years… luckily …may husband is not as ignorant as you …. and decided to live in Spain (North of Spain)–

    Siesta: nap
    Nadie en España puede hacer siesta si tiene que ir a trabajar, no tienes ni idea
    Seguramente lo que conoces de España es algún Hotel barato al que has ido de vacaciones, hoteles pensados para vosotros, con mala comida pensada para vosotros, con sangría pensada para vosotros, lugares pensados para vosotros, es decir concederos lo peor, lugares malos para vivir por su excesivo calor en verano … pensados para vosotros que os gusta achicharros al sol. Y luego volvéis a casa y pensáis que sabéis algo de España.
    Obviamente no tienes ningún interés por ningún país que no sea el tuyo, bastante pequeño por cierto y muy cerrado de mente pese a lo que se crea fuera.

    Sois tan ignorantes que cuando a mí en tú pais se me pregunta de dónde soy y contesto : From Spain … directamente oigo Oleeeee,,, y sunshine !!
    Hace falta ser ignorante. En el Norte de España llueve como promedio unos 134 días al año. La temperatura en invierno en España oscila tiene una media de 6 grados durante el día, por la noche bajo cero.
    En España nieva mucho en invierno
    En España se esquía, tenemos muchas estaciones de esquí.

    España tiene 505.988 m2
    01 Castilla y León 94.223 18,6%
    02 Andalucía 87.268 17,2%
    03 Castilla-La Mancha 79.463 15,7%
    04 Aragón 47.719 9,4%
    05 Extremadura 41.634 8,2%
    06 Cataluña 32.114 6,3%
    07 Galicia 29.574 5,8%
    08 Comunidad Valenciana 23.255 4,6%
    09 Región de Murcia 11.313 2,2%
    10 Principado de Asturias 10.604 2,1%
    11 Navarra 10.391 2,1%
    12 Comunidad de Madrid 8.028 1,6%
    13 Canarias 7.447 1,5%
    14 País Vasco 7.234 1,4%
    15 Cantabria 5.321 1,0%
    16 La Rioja 5.045 1,0%
    17 Islas Baleares 4.992 1,0%
    - Ceuta (Ciudad autónoma) 18 0,0%
    - Melilla (Ciudad autónoma) 12 0,0%
    - Territorios españoles en el N de África 30 0,0%
    TOTAL 505.988 100%

    Unicamente en Andalucía hace calor insoportable, únicamente en Andalucía el folckore es flamento!

    A ver si dejas de ser tan ignorante y comienzas a saber que nadie que trabaje en España (y somos muchos) tiene tiempo de echarse una siesta. Que eso pertenece al pasado, cuanlo la mayoría de la población erar rural (al igual que en tu país), los veranos calurosos hacían que la gente se levantase a las 4:00am. y trabajase hasta las 13:00 (es decri 8 horas seguidas de trabajo)…se iban a casa, comían y se echaban una siesta, lógicamente si te has levantado a las 4 de la mañana y entre las 13:00 y las 16:00h. el calor es insoportable. Eso forma parte del Sur de España… y de otra época.
    El sur de España es un porcentaje muy pequeño. Es muy bello y tiene una cultura fascinante, baste diferente al resto de España-

    Holanda es tan pequeño que tenéis una única cultura.

    Es decir NO conoces nada de España

    Hablas de España como si hablases de América como un todo, cuando hay un montón de países diferentes… diversidad de clima, diversidad de costumbres e ingluso leyes… al igual que en España.

    En defitiva …. que puedes seguir siendo un ignorante o aprender un poco y luego opinar.

    Creo que te puedo definir en dos pablabras : Kaas Koop !

    Una española, y a mucha honra !!

    Comment by Begoña — September 23, 2011 @ 3:46 am

  535. it’s so important, that let me repeat it:
    I said romanians = ugly and stupid, barely human. they’re considered the rubbish heap of europe by real europeans.

    every part of the world has jokes about stupid people, in europe we make fun of stupid romanians.

    Comment by Perverted and offensive — September 23, 2011 @ 10:53 am

  536. 535 ——> you are so boring …zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    I beat you are the typical ugly British …. with ugly white skin …buaggggggggg red haired …. brown spots on your skin …agggggggggggggg you sting …like butter …..buagggggggggggggg ………

    Goodness me! I was living in your boring and “reprimida” country … you are all dirty … and rarely use a daily shower ….

    Bet you don’t even have “eyaculacion precoz” ….poor liitle rabbit !!! reason why … you look so much like a pig !

    You make me sleep ……. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    Hve you already eaten your boliled potatoes…ha haaahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

    Dag !!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Comment by begoña — September 23, 2011 @ 5:28 pm

  537. By the way …. pink pig (535) … I have got a gorgogeous body ! beautiful big blue eyes beautiful silky whilte skin (but not your milky ugly skin) ….that gets beautifully golden tanned in summer….
    When I was living in your ugly country …. if I walked down the stree …all men turned his head !!!..

    Gorgogeus was the firts word I learned !! … I almost thought it meant “pleased to meet you” …hahhaaaaaaaa.. soon I realized … I was the gorgegeus !! smart … and lovely … were the other words to describe me …!

    Thanks God I also met intelligent people… and still keep in touch !!

    Get lost … ! your are too insignificant to tell you ” travel the word”

    Comment by begoña — September 23, 2011 @ 5:37 pm

  538. From Serbian point of view.
    to start with neighbours.

    Hungarians- very slow people with funny language. Many Serbs think they have inferiority complex toward all ex-yugoslavian people.

    Romanians-good people, with rich history, but really poor.

    Bulgarians- Some kind of Turks, stabbackers and we kicked their asses in every single war.

    Albanians- They still live in tribes.

    Croats-Catholic Serbs, German “horsekeepers”, no balls, no history, no wars , no culture, nothing. Just slaughtering serbian women and children when they have a chance. Nice coast.

    Bosnians- Muslim Serbs, stubborn and stupid. They have big heads. They are often subject of jokes.

    Russians- The only good world power.

    Germans- Organised and honest. Many Serbs works there.

    Italians- Nothing special about them(football, pizza,etc.)

    French- Also nothing special, some people feel betrayed because of NATO bombing.

    English- Cold people, god sense of humor, but EXTREMELY ugly.

    Scandianvians- Cold, but they are rich.

    Spanish- TV novelas, dark people.

    Greeks- Brothers, sea destination. Nice standard.

    Dutch, Danish, Belgians- some kind of Germans.

    Thats it.

    Daily Candor: See the comment from the Croat above. You can agree that you both adore the Germans.

    Comment by sibica — September 23, 2011 @ 10:27 pm

  539. Hi, I’m a guy from Greece. Europe (a name of Greek roots) is a very dysfunctional continent. Here’s what I think of Europe.

    France – A country guided by feminine ideals. Although its culture is attractive, it is somewhat obsolete. Muslim immigrants have ruined France in recent years.

    The Italians – Natural comedians.

    The Germans – Good with technology.

    The Scandinavians – Blond, peaceful introverts. Their society has been ruined by a serial killer and Muslim rapists.

    The Belgians – The originators of multiculturalism.

    The Dutch – Tall diary consumers. I would’ve liked them more if they weren’t so self righteous and critical of Greece.

    The Swiss – Perfection Nazis with limited capacity to feel.

    Spain – A strange land – especially Andalucia.

    The Greeks – The spoiled brats of Europe. Assholes most of them.

    The Poles – A victimized people who have been bullied by everyone.

    The Czechs – Who are they?

    The Austrians – Polite racists.

    The British – Polite backstabbers who disrespect other European cultures but seem to like the Third World. The women are natural feminists while the men are somewhat emasculated.

    The Irish – The Greeks of the North but with a drinking problem.

    The Serbs – A nationalistic cult.

    Thanks for reading.
    Have a nice day/night!

    DailyCandor: Thanks for the self-deprecating humor…it is always appreciated!

    Comment by Giorgos — September 27, 2011 @ 10:35 am

  540. Ive been reading all the comments and its a really funny site, I love it when you all slag each other off. Ime english and as you all rightly point out I hate everyone Lol. Ime going to have a go now and I will appologise in advance to all the politicaly correct sensitives types,

    The Germans:- started 2 world wars and lost them both, they didnt accept the fact so became key players in the EU to conquer europe via the back door, the greeks, spanish, italian, portuguese and a few other lazy f****rs have dropped them and their french lackeys in it up to their top lips.

    The French:- In 1066 the normans came to england and kicked our arses and made us part of their empire, our blood is mixed with theirs because the normans never actually left england and we our proud of this ancestory, we have loads of french words assimilated into own language. This makes it all the more strange to us that the french cant accept the fact that the brits, americans, canadians, aussies, new zealanders etc saved their arses from the Germans and that is the simple reason that the main international language is english, not german, which the french and the rest of the bloody ‘europeans’ would be speaking by now if we hadnt done something about it, on top off this it pisses us off no end to hear them and other european tossers banging on about their wonderful culture, in a nutshell they can keep it in france, at least the english dont piss in the street until they have had a few beers.Lol

    The Americans:- Can you please f—ing shut up about how you saved englands arse during the war? learn your history and have some f—ing humility about the facts. Britain & france declared war on germany in 1939 we didnt see any of you f—ers over hear until the start of 1942, and wouldnt have seen you at all if japan hadnt bombed the shit out of you at Pearl Harbour. Meanwhile were we invaded? — errr no. Were we winning the battle of britain and had already sunk the bismark and taken tobruck against rommel in north africa by the time you lot arrived ? errr yes, you helped us save all the other b—–s but you deinitely did not save our arses because we showed some fight and didnt get our selves invaded no thanks to you.

    The Spaniards:- another bunch of tossers basking in self adulation, if your climate was like ours you wouldnt know what an englishman looked like. instead of spending billions in your country over the years we wouldnt have spent a euro, we come over there to bask in the sun not your culture, most educated brits go to Portugal the people are much nicer and dont have the facist and racist mentality of the spanish. on top of this you are the biggest cheats at football on the planet, yes we admire the skills of barcelona, but we dont admire the diving and amatuer dramatics anytime they are touched by another player they should have diving boards installed round the pitch!

    The Scandinavians, yes they invaded, yes we admired the vikings, but we also kicked their arses good at stamford bridge in 1066, you didnt fancy coming back after that did you? lol. Its only cos of you lot that the normans managed to invade us cos we couldnt get the army back down from up north in time. ha ha.

    To the person who wrote 536 & 537 you are a true moron, you are having a go at england when the person who wrote the article you are so worked up about (533 & 535) is clearly an american, what a dick head.

    The rest of Europe:- Sorry I havnt insulted you yet I will save for another time!!

    DailyCandor: Are Americans European now? Ah well, you just felt the need to get a dig in against the Yanks. It’s your birthright as a Brit, I guess. And 533/535 were not posted by an American (remember, I can see IP addresses). If you look at the diction, you’ll see it’s not a native English speaker.

    Comment by thorpey — September 27, 2011 @ 10:42 am

  541. Hi, I’m a french (as obviously stated in my name).

    About some things people thinks of us :
    —————————————————

    I could be hurt by those idea of us being rude and arrogant. (but years of net surfing made me insensitive to it)
    Just for the arrogant part, (i’m not myself) I think there is some people that confuse some pride we have (cause we have many things to be proud of, like every country. It’s a fact. There is no problem with that. Every country and single person have their own things to be proud of.) with arrogance. Maybe because others grant us some really flattering adjectives made some people (and they shouldn’t, really) jealous ?…
    Other state about that hurting idea that we’re arrogant and unfriendly may come to all those idiot US propaganda (that made nicely their way to just all around the world…) largely made by conservative american politics that stated things you all may know now : France = socialism (oulala…), french = coward (problem with iraq dear mister Bush?…). And everyone who get real interest in Europe history know that this last “coward”/”surrender” adjective is totally unfair.

    If Americans french-bashers which express their stupid and insane hatred about us are WAY MORE present on the web (and even stupid US medias), HOPEFULLY, we know that there are still normal people that, at least, don’t disrespect us, or even like/love us. Obama’s presidency help to it widely too (in comparison of this idiot Bush and all his french-bashing friends). Unfortunately, that Sarkozy don’t help us to made a good image…
    And some very popular and famous USA’s hard critic (don’t know if i translate right) like Michael Moore and Bill Maher (which I like much due to his humour) even defend us…

    About other Europeans :
    ——————————-

    Sincerely, I’ve nothing against other European. And I won’t pay attention of those theory or bad cliche of our neighbor.
    I do love Europe and its inhabitants. Of course, by historical and geographical reasons, I feel more linked to our Belgians and Luxembourgish buddies (I’m from North France), and to German, Irish, English, Swiss, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese and Italian than others, but hey, should I follow bad cliche about others country’s people I don’t have meet yet ?

    We French have a great luck, our country is , as I always say, greatly placed with its boundaries (directly or indirectly) with Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Swiss, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Monaco and Andorre ! (at least in our era, being so close to so much countries wasn’t always a luck some centuries ago…lol)

    So don’t mistake of French being rude and/or arrogant. Some are, but they are definitively not the majority of us. :) :)
    I know some Parisians are deeply idiot with stranger, but, you should know that they are also deeply idiot with other french lol.
    And also, if i may defend them, we have also to know that parisians have to deal with WAYYY MOOORE strangers, visitors and foreigners that any normal city we may know, just by the simple fact that Paris is the FIRST and most capital city visited IN THE WORLD. And Paris is so crooowded some days xD, that I can understand some of them….

    Although I won’t accept how rude Parisians can be. Being (apparently) one of (if not “the”, depending of opinion) the most loved city for its beauty and dynamism, it’s A SHAME to also being ranked in one of the worst city on “greetings quality”…

    Another advice about French : France IS NOT Sarkozy, and ABOVE ALL, Sarkozy is DEFINITIVELY NOT France. Sarkozy is a deep idiot and a racist egocentric president ruling his country like a monarchic King of the 18th century …
    If that guy had hurting you or you country, know that all normal french apologize for having elected (even if i didn’t vote for him myself) such a stupid president.

    Last words :
    ————–

    On such topics, i’m accustomed to really hard and offensive opinion and (false) cliche about us… (mainly, and strangely on US ones) But here, i’ve read some REALLY sympathic comment on us. And, as i’m not that accustomed to some nice opinion, i want to thank you all :) . Such intelligent and respectful comment made me feel always nice, when, in some far lands, people can just yelling “dirty french”, “sucking french”, “surrending cheese eatings monkey”, “frog” etc, etc… (you probably know all this…)

    That’s why and how I love my Europe !
    People that are not stupid to fall in the game of stupid cliche against their own neighbours and old friends countries….

    Vive l’Europe !

    KISS FROM FRANCE ;)
    Rémy

    Daily Candor: As much as I don’t like French-bashing by the right-wing here, I can’t help but feel there’s some irony about a Frenchman complaining about Americans mercilessly bashing them.

    Comment by FRENCH — September 27, 2011 @ 11:28 am

  542. In case Americans are wondering…

    Why does everyone in Europe hate Greece?

    Answer:
    They hate us because of our freedoms.

    Giorgos Bushopoulos

    Comment by Giorgos Bushopoulos — September 28, 2011 @ 12:12 am

  543. Dear Daily Candour, re your comment on 540. The majority of americans are of european descent so by default they deserve some stick, of course this does not apply ( to the same extent ) in the case of americans who claim british descent. ha ha ha ha. As for 533/535, – its an american living abroad!! lol.

    Daily Candor: Yes, most Southerners claim British descent (you know, the racist, inbred, poorly-educated, Bible-thumping ones). Again, read the language he uses. American English is not his first language.

    Comment by thorpey — September 28, 2011 @ 1:19 am

  544. i feel disappointed by some of the comments about the english, pretty much by the english, i personally think a lot of the english are some of the most warm, funny, polite kind decent people i’ve met. The english always get a bad wrap but they are most probably the most tolerant and open minded people i’ve ever met.

    Comment by Bob — September 29, 2011 @ 6:05 pm

  545. bob you are a gentleman and a scholar. daily candour, touche! you are a master debator and a cunning linguist.

    Comment by thorpey — October 1, 2011 @ 1:23 am

  546. I’m dutch and we don’t look down on everyone,the dutch-belgian thing it’s true,but we do it as jokes,we dont hate or dispise each other.the german thing is true,most dutch people dont like the germans,btw duits bloed means dutch blood in the anthem,not german blood;)we dislike (not hate) germany,poland,and turkey and the dislike of bulgarians is starting to rise too and outside europe,holland strongly dislikes America.on the other hand the dutch really like spain,belgium, romania,scandinavia & italy and dont have a problem with the rest..

    About the forgotten european country’s i think romania dislikes Hungary, Turkey and Russia, and as the saying goes 50% italian, 50% dutch is a 100% romanian friend. because Holland and Romania have a good & strong relation togetheras country and the people of both country’s like each other.
    bulgaria likes turkey i think.
    and from what i heared of a polish friend, poland dislikes russia,germany and turkey.
    Ukrain dislikes poland.
    Turkey dislikes Russia and Romania.

    Comment by Mike — October 2, 2011 @ 12:09 pm

  547. Ok, I´m Swedish and one interesting point is the relation between Scandinavian (Nordic) conturies. Historically there have been wars and occupations, where Sweden has played a major role as an occupant. Finland for example was a part of Sweden until 1809 and Norway was united to Sweden until 1905 and Denmark lost parts of their country to Sweden about 350 years ago and those southern parts are still Swedish.

    That´s the background. Sweden has always been seen as the big brother, but nowadays the relations of course are friendly. We are Scandinavians and the languages are quite similar except for Finnish which is a totally different language but about 7 % of the Finns have Swedish as a mothertounge and Swedish is taught in schools.

    The relation to Norway is very special. Swedes tend to look at Norwegians as somewhat behind when it comes to trends and modernity. Trying to keep the country pure, which is reflected in their language transcripting new foreign words into Norwegian, which for a Swede sounds odd and comical. But during the last decades Norway has become wealthy thanks to the oil and there has been a gradual change in the relationship. Norwegians nowadays don´t seeem to lack from the same inferiority complex towards Swedes. But a friendly rivalry still exist, which very much is reflected in sports and escpecially cross country skiing. In the Winter Olympics for example the main goal always is to beat the Swedish/Norwegian opponent.

    But in general terms the relations between Scandinavian (Nordic) countries are very friendly. If you for example meet a Scandinavian abroad you immidiately feel a relationship, a cultural identity regardless the conflicts in the past.

    Comment by Hans — October 7, 2011 @ 3:52 am

  548. [...] [...]

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  549. I would say that the Brits have experienced immensely high immigration levels from all countries and traditional relationships with peoples on the Continent have thus changed. I have worked with all western European nationalities as a cultural awareness business consultant and you can practically tell how a country works by its zodiac sign (true, but not for discussion here) The Brits pretend hatred of the French for their being arrogant, smelly, indolent , a bit yellow-bellied and stuck-up but much appreciate their style, accent, sexiness, food, creativeness and quality of life. As most Europeans say, France is paradise except for the French. Once British and French education levels were comparable, but the English system now turns out some appallingly educated youngsters whose attitudes no longer “feel” English and certainly non-European.. Still, amongst the English and Scots certainly the division has been created politically. In the seventies, the animosity was not particularly evident, but the countries that make up the geographic British Isles are forging greater cultural boundaries between them. Scots are seen by the English as tight and ready to damage them, the Welsh are poetic, hard working, the Irish, genial, talkative, whimsical, a bit thick-headed (though not so much these days) and are similar to how the French see the Belgians. For some reason this country is seen as boring when in fact the Belgians have been good friends of the Brits and is actually very playful. Our true cousins are seen as the Danish, Norwegians and the Dutch and begrudgingly the Germans. All are admired for their efficiency, cleanliness, same earthy quality and stoicism, meat and potatoes approach. All have a passion for drinking too. The Poles were once considered a strong, goodly people. Now they have invaded the UK they are not seen in such a good light. Hardworking, but drunk and quite violent. Other East Europeans are seen as having gorgeous women but very curt attitudes, with practices changing as you go from the Scandinavian and Russian borders to the Balkans. Greek stereotypes are lazy, but museful, the Hungarians are polite and have excellent etiquette, the Austrians adroit and friendly in a non-commital way and the Swiss clean, cool, healthy and efficient. The Spanish are liked except they smoke too much and are beastly to animals, the Portuguese being the oldest allies of the English, are like the Maltese, outposts of faded mediterranean class that appeals to the English , whilst Italy is adored as a crazy, romantic delight. Unfortunately, the Brits as a whole had a wonderful reputation and were welcomed everywhere. Now all classes travel and little cultural education offered to the young, the continent’s view might be that we have become boorish, ill -mannered, ignorant drunkards. Again, I blame it on the governments.

    Comment by TJ — October 12, 2011 @ 3:33 pm

  550. English people know everyone hates us, but it doesn’t bother us too much. Its down to our empirical past.

    UK+ Ireland
    Irish- They hate us for not doing enough to help them during a potato famine 150 years ago. They also think that they have the right to impose their rule and religion on Northern Ireland, a different country which has no wish to join the Irish mainland. Overall, most English people are fine with Irish though.

    Scotland- Hate us te most out of everyone. They think we are arrogant. But we are generally better than them at EVERYTHING.

    Wales- Also hate English but English aren’t bothered by them.

    Mainland Europe:
    France- We have a long and complex relationship with the French. We’ve been at war with one another for 800 years. We have fought one World War together. France decided not to show up in the Second World War. Despite the fact we saved their ass, De Gaulle still cosied up to Germany. Its strange. In some ways we are very different e.g. culture, food, religion. In some ways we are very similiar: arrogant, obnoxious, pretentious (I admit). I dont think we do hate them, we just have to be better than them at everything. Love them or hate them, they are our closest European ally.

    Germany- Fought 2 Wold Wars. Won 2 World Wars. We will never forget that, even if they have overtaken us since.

    Portugal- We have a soft spot for them. Generally good people and not up themselves like their Meditarranean cousins.

    Spain+Italy- Carry huge amounts of self importance. Europe carries them, not the other way around.

    Poland- Very hard working, even if their English isn’t great.

    Romanians+Bulgarians- Developed a reputation of thieving. Add nothing to our society.

    Serbia- A bunch of neo-nazi dic heads who carry a huge chip on their shoulder, not to mention a superiority complex. Dragged us into a World War because they couldn’t keep their own house in order. Vile people who supported ethnic cleansing to ensure they would remain the numerically superior race in the region. Hated by everyone.

    Croatia- See above. Shady people who in times of turmoil back the winning horse to save their own skins.

    Comment by IG — October 19, 2011 @ 3:46 pm

  551. “Spaniards consider themselves white and European, and would be deeply insulted if you suggested they were Latin American of any kind”

    What a strange way to think!

    Comment by Jackie Treehorn — October 22, 2011 @ 5:54 am

  552. I’m English and I’m not cold, arrogant, snobby or ugly and I DON’T hate the French. Is that too much to comprehend for you??

    It does annoy me when we get generalised in such a negative manner, ‘the English are all ugly’. You know there are over 50million people living in England, right? I am assuming, to make such a statement, you have stopped and looked at us all??

    It also annoys me that the Irish think it is okay to hold contempt for us, about things that happened a very long time ago, by our ancestors which the English people of today had absolutely no control over.

    People shouldn’t be judged on their nationality but rather on their INDIVIDUAL personalities and behaviour.

    This forum is filled with so much negativity, why all the need for hate?

    Comment by Adam — October 25, 2011 @ 3:11 pm

  553. Lighten up Adam it doesnt matter if everone hates us ime sure your (Friend) & family love you. Ime english & ugly & hate the F–k— French and all the other bastards. Bye the way something you cant comment on is whether you are ugly or not let others be the judge of that.

    Comment by thorpey — October 26, 2011 @ 7:11 am

  554. First of all, thanks @Adam for that post. “People shouldn’t be judged on their nationality but rather on their individual personalities and behaviour.” I wholeheartedly agree. By the way, I’m German, and reading over most of these comments it seems to me that Germany is slightly underrepresented, so I’m going to give it a go.

    These following statements are stereotypes that I’ve heard, NOT my personal opinion!!!

    Austria: Our smaller but closely related neighbor. Lovely people who speak an interesting dialect. You don’t hear much from them, except that they tend to kidnap people and put them into their basements. Hitler was born in Austria and spoke a weird Austrian dialect which makes it hard for us to understand his speeches.

    Belarus: Somewhere next to Ukraine. Cold and grey; dubious politics.

    Belgium: Small country but very important in European affairs. They speak French and German and Dutch and have a king. Also very cosmopolitan.

    Bosnia: Sadly, was involved in bloody civil wars in the 90s and still hasn’t completely recovered.

    Bulgaria: Lags behind the European standard of living. Also seems to be very far away from us. Many Germans don’t seem to see differences between the Slavic countries.

    Croatia: Next to Bosnia. Previously a tourist destination and slowly becoming one again. Nice coast there and friendly people.

    Cyprus: An island that’s divided between Turkey and Greece. It’s a sad affair; they just can’t seem to find an agreement. The country itself seems to be beautiful and Mediterranean.

    Czech Republic: Has a highly beautiful capital called Prague.

    Denmark: Beautiful small country to our north. Its inhabitants are descendants of the Vikings and have a high standard of living. Also patriotic – they put their flag everywhere. Denmark mostly consists of countryside. Some wonderful beaches. Their capital is on an island. Danes come over the border to Germany to buy beer there. They also visit Germany to see mountains.

    Estonia: One of the three Baltic countries, but which one? Now in the EU. Also the name of a ferry which tragically sank in the Baltic sea in the 90s.

    Finland: Nordic country. Their economy is based on producing cell phones and every Finn has at least three. Also a pretty cold country with a lot of forests and lakes. The people are wealthy and have the best school system in the world. Sadly, also a high suicide rate. Finns seem to tend towards depression. Kings of sauna.

    France: Our beloved neighbors and good friends. France and we run the EU together. Fine food, fine wine, fine beaches. Everything is very centralized there; all the roads meet in Paris. Tons of stuff to see there. Sadly, French people refuse to speak a word of English (or any language other than French) even though it is compulsory in schools. Also way too many nuclear power stations.

    Greece: Beautiful Mediterranean country. Beaches, museums, a history that is thousands of years old. Also impossible amounts of smog in Athens. Extremely relaxed people. Greeks don’t seem to like working. Because of this they need to be supported by EU money, the most of which comes from Germany. Many Germans don’t really understand why we have to pay for them.

    Hungary: Mostly unknown country in south-western Europe; however, you can spend cheap vacations there. Also, home of goulash.

    Iceland: Almost America but somehow still Europe. Home of Eyjafallajökull and Björk. The last Vikings live there. Iceland consists of Rejkjavík, volcanoes and geysers and unfortunately is very expensive to travel to.

    Ireland: Island country on the furthest edge of Europe. Beautiful green countryside. Home to Irish folk music which is pretty popular in Germany. They also have the coolest Euro coins (with a harp). Irish people are nice and relaxed but very catholic. Many Germans actually believe that the conflicts take place in the Republic of Ireland instead of Northern Ireland.

    Italy: First foreign experience for many Germans. Hot and catholic, home of the pope. Countless tourist attractions and some of the best food in the world. Italy used to be cheap but is now on the same level as everything else. Sadly, Italians have a problem with waste disposal and ship their waste off to Germany. Silvio Berlusconi rules there and has turned politics into a soap opera. Italians love football almost as much as Germans.

    Latvia: Another one of the three … hmm, which one?

    Lithunia: And the third one. There are frequently trucks wearing a Lithuanian license plate on German autobahns.

    Luxembourg: Very small country which is the center of the EU. Luxembourgers are bilingual and not so different from Belgians.

    Malta: Small island in the Mediterranean. Consists only of its capital, Valetta. People speak English there.

    Netherlands: Our friendly neighbors. Germans feel generally very positive towards the Dutch, although some do criticize the drug traffic. The Netherlands are known for having greater success in integration affairs than Germany. The Netherlands are also very flat and will be swallowed by the sea once it rises due to global warming.

    Norway: Very wealthy country due to oil and gas. Beautiful country too. One of the top emigration destinations for Germans. People all speak perfect English.

    Poland: Eastern European country with very difficult historical ties to Germany. Thousands of polish trucks on our autobahns every day. Many immigrants to Germany. Also some beautiful nature, though Germans still have to discover it.

    Portugal: Mediterranean country that doesn’t belong to Spain but isn’t very different. Tourist destination. Also needs to be supported by the EU.

    Romania: Lagging behind European standards. Located somewhere between Bulgaria, Slovakia and Russia.

    Russia: Big and cold and grey. Consists of Moscow and Siberia. Has large amounts of oil and gas. Moscow is fairly modern but elsewhere the standard of living is pretty low. Putin still runs the country. Home of oligarchs and vodka.

    Serbia: Next to Bosnia and Croatia. Still mentioned on the news at times.

    Slovakia: Located somewhere behind the Czech Republic.

    Slovenia: A member of the EU, that much we know.

    Spain: For many Germans only consists of Mallorca, Paella and Flamenco. Oh and bullfight (abolished now).

    Sweden: Wealthy northern country with nice people who all speak perfect English. Beautiful landscapes and elks. Home of Ikea. Every German university student wants to spend a semester in Sweden because of the country’s great reputation.

    Switzerland: Patriotic high-tech country. People are mostly friendly towards Germans and speak their own German language which is hard to understand (they also speak French and Italian). The Swiss banks are legendary. Germans go to Switzerland to do skiing and hiking. Very close political and economical ties.

    Ukraine: Next to Belarus. Home of Chernobyl.

    United Kingdom: Sadly, most Germans have never heard of the term “UK” and call the country England, even though it should be known that it’s also Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. English people don’t like the EU and would rather be American. They also live in the past – that is to say, in WW2 – and still have strong anti-German feelings. (Scots and Welsh, not so much. They’re nicer to us.) It probably has something to do with British media (which e.g. constantly compares football matches to war battles). It’s really sad that Brits just don’t understand that the war has been over for 65 years and that it was our ancestors who did that, not us.

    As for me, I prefer to judge people individually, if at all, and I try to be as open-minded and tolerant as possible. I did a student exchange program and met people from all over Europe and all of them were nice and beautiful. If only all people could be tolerant and unbiased – I do believe life would be easier.

    Comment by Owl — October 26, 2011 @ 7:12 pm

  555. “”French people refuse to speak a word of English”"
    ________________

    Maybe because we are tired to see millions of tourists visiting our country and none of them say “bonjour”…is it too difficult? For us it’s impolite…

    Comment by Gavroche — November 4, 2011 @ 6:45 am

  556. I’m british and from london and this is all so silly. None of us have a REAL problem with eachother. We tease eachother – yes but none of us actually believe in these streotypes! And we obvs love the french, there is a reason we have the eurostar! X

    Comment by Elena — November 8, 2011 @ 11:27 pm

  557. French people refuse to speak a word of English, but they’ll happily look down on any other french-speaker, especially native french-speakers.

    There used to be a motto among french “comedians” (french comedians usually aren’t funny): when in Swiss, mock the Belgians; when in Belgium, mock the Swiss. Same jokes, just intervert nations. A fine example of french “courage”.

    Please, don’t lump us french-speaking belgians with them; we’re nothing alike. Personally, I’m much more immersed in british culture than french.

    Comment by Cheese-eating surrender monkeys — November 14, 2011 @ 4:29 pm

  558. Thorpey: the normans weren’t french; they were Vikings!
    The crown of France did what it does best: surrender Normandy to Rollo, a norwegian King that had invaded in the tenth century.
    By the time of Hastings 1066, Normandy was still independent from the crown of France.

    Comment by Cheese-eating surrender monkeys — November 14, 2011 @ 4:35 pm

  559. I see why the Euro is dying. You all are STARK RAVING MAD!!

    Comment by King Charles — November 15, 2011 @ 3:27 am

  560. Im British and my parents are Scottish but I was raised in England most of my life. Ive been around most of Europe and lived in America and Turkey (my fiance is Turkish). Most of the stereotypes are sort of accurate, but some are off the mark. From a British perspective I can tell you how we see things.

    Spain – Cool people, like us they love football and they like having a good time. Loud people and always talking, the ones I knew liked Brits but really disliked the French. We like them generally speaking, except when they keep trying to buy all your players! (Arsenal fan)

    France – Women are a bit up themselves but are also a little insecure once you see through their exterior. Quite nationalist people and i dont think they really give a toss about other countries, as France is the centre of the universe. I have a french mate and we were out once and he met some french blokes after we left he said they told him why are you hanging out with these British assholes! But then again my mate is a top lad and loves a bit of banter regarding us rosbifs and lefrogs so i think the French are a bit arrogant but thats just history and rivalry.

    Germans – Hard working although unable to work outside the box, great engineering industry, like weird porn, drink a lot like us, they stare a lot which is weird and they really do seem a bit robotic. Occasionally you will find one with a good sense of humour. Living in Turkey they visit a lot and get done over by the taxi drivers and people working in the markets.

    Swedes – Cold people, bit weird and always seem depressed, arrogant but have no idea they are so.

    Turks – Friendly but are so patriotic and always think Turkey will be some huge superpower in the future, too conservative and not individual people. Will do anything to help you, unless your a naieve tourist.

    Italians – short mamas boys, use a lot of gel, but great culture

    Dutch – easy going and laid back, Brits like dutch people

    Poles – always wanting to fight, look like drug addicts and a bit thick

    Czechs – cool people who drink a lot

    Americans – loud thinks everyone wants to know them as they are american, patriotic but also have no real culture or history

    Comment by andy — November 15, 2011 @ 7:34 pm

  561. Dear Cheese- Eating Surrender Monkeys, you are spot on, this of course means that we were invaded by the vikings again!
    regards

    Comment by thorpey — November 18, 2011 @ 9:21 am

  562. actually, we do have a lot of jokes about Germans. And I mean it, a lot. We have stereotype that they are brutal, arrogant, humourless, stupid, rule-obeying and hardworking. The one of cliches is “the German, the Pole and the Russian” jokes, where Pole is smart, German is militaristic dumb, while Russian is likeably ultra-strng and tough but dumb (i do not say it’s true, it’s just how they are portraited in these jokes)

    Comment by szopen — November 21, 2011 @ 3:31 am

  563. When I lived in Belgium, it is obvious that the Flemish and Belgians don’t like each other. The Belgians and French are at odds as you mentioned, and some Belgians hate the Germans. Travelled to Czech also, our host hated the Germans from the war.

    Comment by Todd — November 21, 2011 @ 6:26 am

  564. It’s pretty true, though you forgot to say that the Germans really love the French, except for those in the South West near the border to France. For enjoying life a lot we say “Leben wie Gott in Frankreich” which means “living like God in France” (it’s a bit old-fashioned though).

    As far as the old WWII hatred against Germans is concerned, my experience from Norway and Britain (probably it’s the same in Denmark and the Netherlands) is that hardly anyone younger than 50 would have anything against the Germans because of the war. There is some teasing though but it doesn’t seem to be hateful. It’s just that we normally don’t really have a good answer to the jokes, that makes this kind of situation a bit awkward. We don’t really want to say something like “Oh yes, my Grandpa loved his stay in Denmark, the people were even more Aryan than in Germany!” or “No, I don’t kill people in concentration camps, I have my Dutch collaborators for this kind of work.” We sometimes have the feeling that we should still be more sensitive than others. There are some Germans who are quite vulnerable to WWII jokes, some people would feel hurt and/or consider it more hateful than it really is meant to be.

    I would just sit back, let people tease and enjoy. After all it shows that the old hate is gone and people can laugh about it.

    By the way, besides Berlin, Hamburg and Munich are also popular destinations for European foreigners. There are also quite a few Dutch tourists who go to the hilly areas in Southern Germany on vacation.

    Comment by Ze German — November 22, 2011 @ 2:08 pm

  565. I forget to mention Belgians dislike Americans. *gasp*

    Comment by Todd — November 22, 2011 @ 10:00 pm

  566. LOL@Greek hate. It’s getting kinda funny after a while. “ZOMG1!1! ZE LAZY GVEEKS! R STEELING AR MANEY!1!1!ONE1!1!”

    Comment by Kool — December 8, 2011 @ 3:00 am

  567. I’m from Italy, and I’ve so many things to say… but it would take too much to write everything.
    I only want to underline one point: English (I mean by U. S. A., not U. K.) has “infected” lots of other languages, and reactions has been different: Spanish and French has “refused” most of English words (“computer” is “ordenador” or “ordinateur”) or they simply changed words according to their own pronunciation and spelling (“stress” has become “estrés in Spanish”); in Italian, English words are everywhere, still in their original spelling, and they are “fashionable” among teenagers; but most of the people (not youth) above all from South Italy , really dislike speaking English.
    That’s why I think that Spaniard, French and “old-generation” Italians are united (in spite of the differences among them) against U. S. A. dominance; but nowadays U. S. A. are Italians’ “Idol”.

    Comment by fresno1606 — December 8, 2011 @ 6:27 am

  568. Ive insulted the French the Germans the Spaniards and even our cousins the Americans before on this ezene and said nice things about the Scandinavians and the Portuguese, I said at the time that I would give the rest of the europeans a slagging off (with a few exeptions) at a later date, and now is a good time. The European Union summit has ended in David Camerons apparent ‘isolation’
    from the rest of Europe, the leaders after the summit were quick to point this out as though they wanted the world to know that they had collectively punished our Dave for fighting his own country’s corner. Mr & Mrs Merkozy ( I think it must have been consumated by now !) were loving everyminute of it. We even had a leader from one of the baltic states, I never caught her name so I will refer to her as Mrs Baltic, getting in on the act. To her and all the others I say these simple facts, David Cameron was born in a country called England, its a very small part of Europe Geographically, in terms of its infuence on the world in the past & present it is a land of giants. To qualify that last statement I will name a just a few people that have come from his country, Sir Isaac Newton, one of the greatest minds of all time, William Shakespear a playwright of some renown, Charles Darwin another scientist with an interesting theory… can you see where ime going with this or shall I chuck in a load more? we wont talk about world expansion the industrial revolution, the mother of parliaments ect. ect. add infinitum, but lets chuck in the Beatles for good luck, a working class pop group from somewher up north. Those are just a few of our finest. In this country the Baltic states and a lot of the others are only known for the flood of their citizens that seek to make a new life in England & nothing else. So as far as Mrs Baltic & Mr & Mrs Merkozy and their colleagues are concerned you can stick the eurozone and its ‘Leaders’ where the sun doesn’t shine. I can say with high confidence that I am speaking for a very high percentage of British people. There are 50 nations in europe and most are in a category in which no one really knows anything about because in terms of what they have achieved past or present they are hugely insignificant. Notable exeptions (apart from the ones I mentioned in the previous post) are Greece & Italy the parents of european civilization former great countries both historically & culturally that everyone owes a debt of gratitude to, its a shame to see them fall so far. Before the Romans invaded us were bare to the waist and covered in tatoos & warpaint (some of us still are after a couple of drinks).
    The eastern europeans, the baltic states, the balkans and all the others are lower division players. Lets not forget Russia though the largest country in Europe (& Asia) they are still a major player to be ignored at our peril, its just a matter of time before they are at it again, they definitely have an aversion to being democratic. You will all be glad to know that this will be my final post on this site as I must have outstayed my welcolme with some of the comments. finally I leave you with Remys comment from a previous post
    France IS NOT Sarkozy, and ABOVE ALL, Sarkozy is DEFINITIVELY NOT France. Sarkozy is a deep idiot and a racist egocentric president ruling his country like a monarchic King of the 18th century … (Remy is of course French) it just showes that in spite of our differences we can all find common ground somewhere. I total agree with you Remy, and Dave, you played a Blinder.
    Good Luck to you all happy posting.

    Comment by thorpey — December 12, 2011 @ 5:51 am

  569. Very good. Best single-page summary of intra-European chauvinism I’ve read. Can I add one on my (British) view of Hungarians – they all seem to be frighteningly clever. I’ve never met a stupid Magyar.

    Comment by Tom R — December 13, 2011 @ 4:26 pm

  570. I’m Portuguese thanks for forgetting us by the way
    So here’s what some of us think
    Spanish- like brothers we don’t feel any less significant
    Brazilians- even though there not European slot of people think there beter than them
    Greeks- what can I say slot of us can’t stand them we think their just idiots
    Italians- we are very similar and get along well

    Comment by Al — December 17, 2011 @ 11:35 am

  571. That last post…its in Hetalia…the anime of ultimate European stereotypes….

    Comment by Hope L. — December 25, 2011 @ 1:22 am

  572. Well, I’m French and I will try to tell you how the French see the other Europeans and other peoples around the world.

    The Belgians: Very positive opinion in general. We consider them as nice and they have great beers and chocolates. We have jokes about them but it’s friendly. They also have jokes about French people.

    The Germans: Despite the two world wars, we generally appreciate them. They are seen as hard-working and their country is safe. They generally speak well other languages. Nevertheless, as tourists, they are sometimes seen as untidy.

    The Italians: concerning the positive aspects, they are friendly and have a beautiful language and culture. A lot of French are of Italian descent. But concerning the negative aspects, they are seen as loud and having a displaced sense of nationalism.

    The Dutch: no particular hostility against them but they are generally considered as cold and avaricious. They have the chutzpah to say that “Holland has not been build by God but by the Dutch” AND “France would be better without the French”. We do not consider them as the most friendly Germanic people and the Dutch language have a bad reputation. Nevertheless, we agree to say they’re industrious, skilled in language and honest.

    The Irish: they are among the most appreciated peoples by the French. We love their sense of hospitality, their music and their culture. Just one thing to say: the anti-football French people think that football should not destroy a relation between peoples.

    The Spaniards: almost the same perception we have concerning the Italians. Spain means for a lot of Frenchmen holidays.

    The Portuguese: they are kind for us. But some French who have met some Portuguese will say the Portuguese tend to be very indifferent to the other peoples.

    The English: we have a love/hate relation with them. We agree they behaved bravely during WWII. Some French think the English are scornful and snobs. Some other French, particularly the youngsters, tend to like the culture and London. The English are known to speak only English. However, the French agree to say they are generally polite. The French from the political right side say the politically correct ideology is even worst in GB than in France.

    The Scandinavians: Well, we do not really distinguish the Danes, the Norwegians and the Swedes concerning the mentality. We generally admire their living system even if some French of the political right side worry about multiculturalism in these countries. Some French who has been living in Scandinavia would perhaps tell the Danes are a bit colder than their cousins.
    Sweden is particularly appreciated for its culture.

    The Finns: French readers love their literature and French metalheads admire their metal bands (Korpiklaani, Nightwish, Turisas). the Finnish language sounds cool to the French ears. Nevertheless, we do not have further contacts with them.

    The Swiss: we highly admire their democracy and their sense of tidiness. nevertheless, some French complain about their anti-French feelings.

    The Icelanders: the French consider Iceland as the coldest country in the world. We tend to appreciated the Icelandic faculty to live in their island (the volcano crisis). The Icelanders are know for their literature.

    The Russians: the French consider them as courageous. We find their women beautiful and Moscow an amazing city. They appreciate to see the Russians dealing proudly with the trials of their history.

    The Greeks: despite negative prejudices because of the crisis, we tend to find the Greeks friendly. We consider them as a French-friendly nation.

    The Turks: some French consider them as arrogant and sub-developed. Some other French find the Turks friendly and cultivated. We agree Ataturk was a great leader but more and more French worry about Erdogan’s attitude.

    The Japaneses: we highly admire their culture and their sense of honor and respect. In Europe, we are the first readers of mangas. We consider though a bit eccentric and cold but nothing bad.

    The Chinese: some French consider them as industrious and humble. But in France, their products have bad reputation and we don’t like very much their government. Generally, the French expats in China are a lot more pro-Chinese than the other French.

    The Australians: they are seen as laid-back and welcoming.

    The Canadians and the Quebecois: same perception than concerning the Australians. We see them as welcoming even if we are aware they have some prejudices towards us.

    The Americans: we share a love/hate relationship with them. The anti-American French consider them as unkind, arrogant and aggressive towards the rest of the world. The pro-American French think they are kind, very welcoming and have a great sense of family and patriotism. The American culture is both loved and loathed. It depends on which facets (music, cinema, literature)

    The Algerians: the French perception navigates between indifference and hostility. A lot of French wonder why they seem traumatized by the French colonization while thousands of Algerians come in France and get the French nationality.

    The Israelis: in France, the only thing told in the media are about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So there is a lot of prejudices towards Israel, aggravated by our huge Muslim population. But I don’t think there is really a cultural hostility towards the Israelis in France. For example, the Medicis Prize (a literature prize) was granted to an Israeli author this year. And the Israeli band Orphaned Land has a lot of French fans.

    The Brazilians: well, we have almost the same view towards them as the other Europeans have. They are relax and optimistic.

    The Peruvians: French expats hailed their kindness

    The Argentinians: the French are generally more at ease with them than with the other Latin American peoples because Argentina is the Latin American country with the greatest population of French descent. Their wine is famous here.

    **************************
    I often read the French are arrogant. Well, French arrogance exists but more against ourselves than against the foreigners. The French looooove to think they are better in diverse things comparing to their compatriots . Some French love foreign countries in order to be snob against their neighbors. There is a famous citation by De Gaulle “The French are calves”. We forget the primary reason of this citation to apply this each time we consider our compatriots behave stupidly or cowardly.
    I hate French-bashing but I must admit the French suffer of individualism. When it happens to the others, they won’t lift a finger, only when it happens to themselves or their families.
    But generally, the French are not xenophobic. We have a lot of citizens of Spanish, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, Vietnamian and African descent.

    Comment by Alexandre — December 29, 2011 @ 5:58 pm

  573. I am a Croat, and I would like to say that Croats think very positive about other nations, but have difficulties with their neighbour. First with the Serbs, due to the fact that they are very agressive and impolite, ignorant and able to manipulate with informations.
    We look with a lot of respect to Germans, but also to Western Slavs, ,due to their history. We are keen to learn foreign languages, and able to integrate to new cultures. Also, it is not true that we hate Serbs, we are just affraid of they agressive manipulations. You will see how they react close to a Croat person. It is torture to Croats.

    Comment by anja — December 29, 2011 @ 6:04 pm

  574. I am a Croat, and I would like to say that Croats think very positive about other nations, but have difficulties with their neighbor. First with the Serbs, due to the fact that they are very aggressive and impolite, ignorant and able to manipulate with information.
    We look with a lot of respect to Germans, but also to Western Slavs, due to their history. We are keen to learn foreign languages, and able to integrate to new cultures. Also, it is not true that we hate Serbs, we are just afraid of they aggressive manipulations. You will see how they react close to a Croat person. It is torture to Croats.

    Comment by Ivan — December 30, 2011 @ 9:34 am

  575. haha!
    hey, I was laughing at this because it reminded me of this anime were the characters are based on their stereotypes and represent a country (it’s called Hetalia btw).
    Oh, and I’m Spanish and live in America and it true what they say.
    one day my mom and i went to a grocery store and some Mexican women asked us if we were Argentinan and yeah, you can imagined what happened.

    Comment by chinaIchooseyou — January 3, 2012 @ 7:48 pm

  576. …personally I’ve always hated the people Andorra with their unhealthy mountain fixation, but they’re nothing compared to the most evil nation on the face of the earth – I’m talking of course talking about Lichtenstein – what a bunch of b*stards!

    In the words of Jack Nicholson “why can’t we just get along” – though I suppose if we did history would be really tedious and boring – a lot like Luxembourg (don’t get me going about them…)

    Thanks from th UK for all the posts – certainly made me smile.

    ps – If you’re from the US military and are reading the above countries don’t exist and what I have written should not be considered intel or form any part of your future strategic planning.

    Comment by Nick — January 6, 2012 @ 1:13 pm

  577. Hi,

    I love this article. You could write a book about this. Most of this is true.
    I’m a Pole living in the UK. I worked with many Europeans mentioned by you and this is the brutal truth.
    From a Polish perspective I have to add though I don’t feel any dislike towards the Czech, Slovaks or any other that you mentioned. We might laugh a bit at the way they speak (very similar to Polish), but the people from all the countries you mentioned I feel no dislike. On the contrary, I found it easy to work and socialize with:
    Germans – best engineers ever existed. I’ve made a lot of German friends here in the UK and see little difference between our cultures and food. Note however the area I come from used to belong to Germany and my granddad was German. I feel sad when I hear that they don’t like us in Germany (can’t blame them though…). Give us a chance Dear Neighbours! The country is the cleanest in Europe. Hardworking, but not good at customer service at all (just like Poles). Hard language to learn. After so many years of studying, my German is still not 100%. Very punctual. I love Munich. It’s just like upgraded Gdansk. ? It’s my dream to move there. I liked people in the south better than in Berlin. Best chocolate on the planet. There are a few childish jokes about the Germans, but we generally don’t make fun of them. Someone here mentioned: “It’s usually along the lines of: “So there is a German, a Russian and a Pole…”. I’ve heard they don’t like Turks and the Greeks? About Polish… They like us in the UK for sure once they get to know us well. I’ve more German friends here than Polish. I also had many Germans coming to my parents B&B during the summer. They always come back the year after and bring more and more friends. They seem to like Poland a lot. Foods good, they’re treated well and everything used to be cheaper (I use past tense here on purpose).
    Czechs & Slovaks – no dislike. Nice people. Funny languages (sorry, had to say it!) and sound alike. The closest cultures to my own. Probably the only two countries we do make fun of and because the languages sound so funny (childlike). I hear they find it easier to understand us than the other way round. I hope I don’t offend anyone here!
    Ukrainians – 2 of my English teachers were Ukrainian LOL. No dislike, nice people, feel sorry for their economic situation. Some idiots might look down at them, because they are from the “east” and poor. I personally liked all Ukrainians I met so far.
    Bulgarians – similar feeling as to the Ukrainians.
    Russians – OMG and here it starts. Poland’s by far the most disliked country, due to their government’s politics. NEVER EVER tell the Poles they’re like or are similar to Russians unless you want to seriously offend them! On the other hand, as much as the Poles might dislike the government, they tend to say that an average Russian citizen is really… nice and likable. Paradox really. People tend to look down at them in Poland too (similar story to Ukrainians I guess). I met a few Russians and found them to be a bit pushy. Imperialists. Probably have the best educational system in Europe.
    Hungarians – Poles really like them! We even have an old saying in Polish that the Poles and Hungarians are like close cousins… I met 2 ladies from Hungary – the loveliest women on the whole planet.
    Spanish – nice and warm. Relaxed. Liked them a lot. Loud. They usually have a strong accent when speak German and English. Unpunctual.
    Portuguese – met a few. Very friendly, always smiling. A big YES. ?
    Italians – chaos. Haha. But nice people, warm. My best mate is marrying an Italian (who surprisingly is quiet and very modest). They’re famous for living with their mums until they’re 40+. Talk a lot. Worst drivers in the whole planet. Loud. Unpunctual.
    Norwegians – I hear Poles complaining and saying frequently “really demanding towards others, but never themselves”, although I personally never met a single Norwegian here in the UK.
    UK – goes into extremes. Half of the citizens are very hard working the other half does (literally) nothing – both at home or at work. Half are very tolerant and nice, smile a lot, the other half of the country hates everybody else on this planet (apart from Canadians and Aussies where they like to emigrate) and complain about everything and everybody. Half are sometimes blunt, the other half the most twofaced people I ever met in my entire life. Poles are not their favourites – we’re job stealers! Really good at customer service. Restaurants tend to be dirty. A lot of them have a lot of self confidence to the point of arrogance. Imperialists. Scots are my favourite in the whole country (warm, drink a lot and are generally very friendly), although I have one at work who is a racist and doesn’t like Poles… He tolerates me though. Food is horrible in the UK. Education is really bad until A-levels. People here can’t spell their own native language and often ask us (yes us, Poles!) how to spell words like Belgium!!! Universities (e.g. MBA programmes) are good. They’re generally smart, but the general knowledge (esp. geography) is not good at all (saying it diplomatically). Punctual. They’re not similar to other Europeans at all (apart from the Swedes I hear). Definitely not heaven here, but BBC rocks!
    Irish – nice, warm, very friendly people. Relaxed. Drink a lot, but are really lovely. One of my favourites in Europe! ?
    French are so far the biggest “challenge” to me. Some of them (have parents from other countries) are really lovely. Arrogant, selfish, proud and vain – they think they’re the centre of the whole universe. Paranoid, insecure. And dare say what you think about them… Then wait and observe the fury and revenge! Haha. They think the Portuguese, Polish, Bulgarians and others are good at cleaning the toilets only. Very racist, the concept of team work doesn’t exist in their minds. Man can be either very Macho or feminine. They have good food and wine though. Dress nice and have good taste. Terrible customer service and as chaotic as the Italians! Little advice: never ask the French for help unless you’re a close friend. Extremely R U D E … Parisians are just horrible people. And no I didn’t speak English to them. I speak good French. Cleanness is not their strongest side either. Imperialists. The last place on the planet where I could live.
    Swiss. I work with them every day too. French speaking Swiss (see the description of the French above). German speaking – the best organized nationals in the whole universe. Amazing. I really admire them for that. Very punctual. When they are travellers they are really likable, but at home they tend to have their “noses up”. Well, they do have many things they can be proud of – and they are the most neutral country of the whole Europe. Italian speaking – nice, friendly and talk a lot. I hear the Brits saying they’re more direct than I am (to the point of being rude).
    Poles – I live outside Poland, so I hope if you forgive me if I add something I observe every time I go back. Rude drivers and bad at customer service. Our roads… OMG. Disaster, although a lot has already improved. They like foreigners they don’t know and are exotic or anybody from the West, although this has started to change the more and more contact they have with people from outside Poland. Germans in my area are respected. The British started slowly ruining their very good reputation (drastic change compared to 10 years ago). They have nothing against our southern neighbours and Lithuanians, Estonians or Latvians. Tend to look down at the eastern neighbours (can sometimes be called Ruscy). Hungarians (although most Poles in the north never even met one…) are liked a lot. Usually very frank, but still polite. People from our dear capital Warsaw are seen as rude and arrogant. Gypsies the least tolerated group. They have a really bad reputation for being stealers, liars and refuse to integrate. I feel sorry for them in a way, but it’s their own fault. Some Poles make racist comments about Jews. I never understood why and I don’t think anyone really knows why they don’t like Jews. I even haven’t met a single one in Poland! We clearly have an inferiority complex – leftovers after the wars, years of Russian’s unwanted (oh yes!) invasion. Somewhat punctual. Very hospitable. They admire the French until they hear my experience with them. :P Still very pro-American, although this changes now. Hard working – yes, but even more abroad! Poles from the north like people from Krakow and mountains area and vice versa from what I observe. We are quite quiet abroad and compared to most of the nationalities I mentioned here. Very religious (not to say fanatics!) and value family life a lot. We’re quite reserved at the beginning, but we get warmer the better people get to know themselves. The country tends to be clean.
    Dutch – I met one in Germany and he was lovely. Got along with him easily.
    Belgian – had contact with one lady from there. Simply horrible and rude. Very bossy. Reminded me of the French. “I am B E L G E!”, she once shouted. Oh God, nothing to be proud of clearly. No manners.
    Cannot say more about other nationalities from Europe as I didn’t have much contact with them.

    About myself? I’m Polish, but never ever thought about stealing anything. I’ve never even stolen a job. ? All I had so far were newly created due to my language skills.
    If you need more info, give me a shout!
    Regards x

    Comment by European — January 8, 2012 @ 10:58 am

  578. To European 577th comment

    I’m French and even if I consider that my compatriots have faults, I think your description is completely caricatural.
    In which year have you been in France ? In 1910 ?

    Comment by Alexandre — January 10, 2012 @ 10:59 am

  579. This is a delightful post, made by the American literate.
    Trying to speaching English, I are from Portugal.

    Comment by European son — January 14, 2012 @ 6:55 am

  580. Re to Alexandre 577: 2010.

    Comment by European — January 14, 2012 @ 11:11 am

  581. hahah polish people dont mind germans and probably still fear them??? good one. polish people mostly do not like germans as they are considered stuck-up, boring, officious, lacking sense of humour and again BORING

    Comment by fghj — January 14, 2012 @ 3:00 pm

  582. @European

    “I feel sad when I hear that they don’t like us in Germany (can’t blame them though…). Give us a chance Dear Neighbours!”

    youve got to be kidding me.

    you cant blame them? and exactly how is that that you cannot possibly blame them? Oh hang on! of course! poland invaded their country and gassed half of the nation. no wonder they dont like poland in germany.

    Give us a chance Dear Neighbours!

    Comment by fghj — January 14, 2012 @ 3:07 pm

  583. Wow, you really don’t know how german-polish relations look like. Polish peapole hate germans, more then germans hate polish. Trust me i’m half-polish, half-german. Polish don’t fear germans, and also they don’t hate other western european nations. This is really wrong. Polish peapole aren’r concider quiet aswell.

    Comment by natalia — January 15, 2012 @ 4:46 am

  584. ”Poles don’t have much good to say about them”

    Not true. Poles really like Czechs. According to the CBOS (Public opinion research center), the Czechs are the most liked people by Poles. 51% of Poles declare sympathies to the Czechs, 12% dislike, 31% neutral and 6% have no opinion

    “probably still fear them a bit — you never, ever hear jokes about Germans in Poland”

    We have jokes about the Germans (he was a Pole, German and Russian …, how to distinguish a German woman from German cows? On earrings, germany, why can not cope with floods? Because their can not shoot).

    Poles (despite appearances) do not hate the Germans, according to CBOS 38% of Poles like Germans, 27% not like, 31% are neutral and 4% have no opinion.

    do not know if anyone is interested but will give the relationship Poles to other nations (especially European)

    so:

    CBOS (2011year):

    WHAT’S YOUR ATTITUDE TO OTHER NATIONS
    sympathy neutralny negative don’t know
    Czechs 51% 31% 12% 6%
    Slovaks 49% 33% 11% 7%
    Spanish 47% 35% 9% 9%
    Italians 47% 33% 13% 7%
    Hungarians 46% 33% 12% 9%
    French 45% 33% 14% 8%
    Dutch 45% 35% 11% 9%
    English 44% 33% 16% 7%
    Americans 43% 31% 19% 7%
    Greeks 43% 33% 14% 10%
    Norwegians 42% 36% 11% 11%
    Swedes 41% 35% 14% 10%
    Belgians 40% 36% 12% 12%
    Finns 40% 36% 13% 12%
    Irish 40% 36% 13% 11%
    Japanese 40% 32% 17% 11%
    Austrians 39% 38% 14% 9%
    Danes 38% 37% 13% 12%
    Germans 38% 31% 27% 4%
    Croatians 36% 37% 15% 12%
    Lithuanians 36% 35% 19% 10%
    Georgians 34% 35% 18% 13%
    Bulgarians 33% 37% 20% 10%
    Estonians 33% 36% 17% 14%
    Russians 32% 29% 34% 5%
    Ukrainians 32% 29% 33% 6%
    Belarusians 31% 34% 26% 9%
    Chinese 31% 32% 26% 11%
    Latvians 31% 36% 18% 15%
    Jews 31% 31% 31% 7%
    Vietnamese 30% 33% 26% 11%
    Turks 29% 28% 33% 10%
    Chechens 28% 29% 31% 12%
    Armenians 28% 31% 25% 16%
    Serbs 28% 35% 24% 13%
    Romanians 24% 28% 40% 8%
    Arabs 23% 25% 42% 10%
    Roma/Gypsies 22% 24% 49% 5%

    Among nations most liked by the poles are Czechs and Slovaks. About half declare they like these nationalites. Slightly fewer people say they like the Spanish, Italians, Hungarians,the French and the Dutch. In all these cases positive opinions are several times more frequend than negative ones.

    At least two fifth of adult Poles have positive opinions about the English,Americans, Greeks, Norwegians, Swedes, Belgians, Finns, the Irish and the Japanese. The number of positive opinions about Austrians, Danes, Croatians, Lithuanians, Georgians, Bulgarians, Estonians and Latvians is still higher than negative views but there are almost as many people who admit they have a neutral attitude to these nations. With regard to the Germans, there are more people who like this nationality than do not like it, but positive opinions out number the negative ones only by 11 percentage points.

    Neutrality is the most frequently expressed feeling towards Belarusians, the Chinese, the Vietnamese, Armenians, and Serbs and positive are only slightly more frequent than the negative attitude. In case of Russians, Ukrainians,Turks and Chechens, respondents are divided into three, comparably large, groups (negative feelings are expressed only slightly more often than positive or neutral feelings). However, with regard to Jews the division of opinions is perfectly even.

    The Roma, Arabs and Romanians are the least liked nations of all the nationalities included in the survey

    http://www.cbos.pl/PL/publikacje/public_opinion/2011/02_2011.pdf

    if you have such tests in your countries to Give

    I greet all and sorry for my bad English

    Comment by Pole — January 18, 2012 @ 3:12 pm

  585. To Pole

    Thanks for this interesting survey.

    Comment by Alexandre — January 19, 2012 @ 2:25 am

  586. Hi :) I am a portuguese teen and i’ve already saw that you forgot us . That’s really nice of your side –’
    I know that Portugal is totally invisible in the world and the countries that know Portugal just know us for the crisis that it’s going through.
    I am here just to show you that Portugal is more than that.
    Portugal is fado, the sad and melancholic music that you heard in Lisbon, Portugal is “saudade” ( is the feeling of missing something) , Portugal is Alentejo, the beautiful landescapes and hot temperatures, is Algarve, the beaches that all british people love to go in the summer, Portugal is north, that especifically accent that we know by ” o sotaque do norte” , Portugal is Açores and Madeira, where it came the famous Cristiano Ronaldo that you know, Portugal is a lot of other beautiful cities. Portugal is rancho (i don’t especifically like, but…), is the famous ” cozido à portuguesa”, Portugal was and is the great Luís de Camões, are the kind and friendly persons ( sometime not very polite, like many of you said), and much more.
    I know that in the last years, it’s been dark in here, but i am sure that we will overpass that.

    Now the question of “nuestros hermanos”. It’s a kinf of sad that E.U.A. and other countries think that we do’nt have a language, we are simply spanish. For those, i recommend that you read some of our great writters, and then, we can talk. And it’s true that we don’t like you very much. I am not saying why, i think that if you read some articles you will understand why.
    In respect to music, we are not the bests and our music isn’t real known but we sure have good singers, like Rui Veloso, Pedro Abrunhosa, José Cid, Sara Tavares, etc.
    Now some stereotypes, it’s true that when you talk to a portuguese about history, you’re doing a big mistake. The older people have the habit to discuss that. It’s a lost cause so, if your smart, you won’t talk about that.

    So come and visit us, you won’t regret. Really. ;)

    Comment by Joana C. ;) — January 19, 2012 @ 9:45 pm

  587. [...] be the only one who has thought about this. I can tell you that all of the Germans I have met have made fun of the French and then often ask why Americans make fun of Canadians or Mexicans [...]

    Pingback by Speaking of Stereotypes « living the american dream in europe — January 20, 2012 @ 2:24 am

  588. famous american saying: Opinions are like assholes… everybody has one.
    loved this and the american version post. very funny

    Comment by theresa — January 22, 2012 @ 6:19 pm

  589. British are ‘anti-European because the U.S. tells them to be so’ Is that a joke?

    I find this really interesting. Even though stereotyping can’t be helped, Every Scottish person I have met hasn’t declared hatred for England, but i have heard that is their general feeling. Personally I think there’s nothing wrong in saying i am European, as that is the continent I am from, and even though I don’t completely understand the feeling ‘to be European’, I’m sure this could be said for all European countries as we are all distinct in culture. The only country I may hold some contempt for would be America. Not hatred for it’s beauty, which I have traveled extensively, or for my own american friends (those Americans whom I felt could be my friend anyhow) but for the disgusting commercialism, complete stupidity when it comes to their stubborn dedication to their faith, and the outright dishonesty of their media. For example, Tv shows which defend circumcision and lie about it despite the scientific truths of the immorality of it. The failed debates with Dawkins and Hitchens on evidence against the bible (fair enough accepting that god could have spurred on evolution, but educated philosophers spreading the literal truth of the bible is just mind-bogglingly idiotic). LYING about British healthcare on news stations (A girl on British TV was outraged that her words were edited to show a bad view of british healthcare) just to brainwash their own people into believing that they should pay crazy sums of money to protect their own lives, knowing this money is going into the hands of big corporations and even State governers, and are just left to die if jobless and ill. I do love America but these things are detrimental to the country. Though myself an expat i am fully aware of the downfalls of the UK.

    DailyCandor: Portraying Brits as being Americans’ lapdogs isn’t true but it’s a charge that does elicit its desired effect. I’d say your comment demonstrates that nicely.

    Comment by Daniela — January 25, 2012 @ 1:22 am

  590. I’m a Pole and i can’t agree with what was said about nations disliked by Poles. I fact, there is tendency not to like Russia because of historical reasons (personally I don’t share this feeling: Russia is in a way a very interesting country). Nevertheless, I don’t know why the author stated that we don’t like our southern neighbours: Czechs and Slovakians. Not true is also the fact about our indifferent attitude to Germany. This country isn’t popular here. One more thing: there is a somehow interesting bond between us and Hungarians.

    DailyCandor: I lived in Poland near the Czech and Slovak borders, and there was a lot of antipathy against “Pepiks.” Maybe further away from the border, sentiments were neutral or even positive.

    Comment by Piotr — January 26, 2012 @ 2:59 am

  591. hi im from germany!

    i just wasted an hour by reading this! but i SERIOUSLY have to study for my final examen now!!

    I WANT MY HOUR BACK!! that was a joke by the way…you see one tries to be funny here in germany as well.

    have a good one everyone

    Comment by rai — February 1, 2012 @ 5:37 am

  592. [...] What Europeans think of each other :: Daily Candor This is a basic backgrounder for Americans, primarily, who might think Europeans do nothing all day but bitch about Americans. Don't get me wrong—they do love bitching about Americans. But they al… [...]

    Pingback by **What Europeans think of each other** – THE Jersey Guy — February 2, 2012 @ 2:01 am

  593. Well… I was googleing for searching something about “english sayings” and landed to this site, started to read it and it captured me !! 1+ hour nice reading indeed.

    With some precautions all of you is right, we finally all act the same way in this world, a tiny 1% difference once amplified can bring to surface some shadings, that DailyCandor and your 591 posts expanded further.

    I am italian and can find some traits of myself and the-italian-way in your posts, amplified of course !
    This because each of us here reported her/his own personal view, direct experience, believe, understanding, guessing etc etc that is, has amplified and made a caricature of that 1% I mentioned above.

    Power of internet … we can all share our views in a very openly manner.
    That’s freedom, we all want it, we all like it, we all must allow for it; this is one of the most important things all people have (and must have) in common.

    Ciao

    Comment by Gianni — February 2, 2012 @ 3:52 am

  594. View of Russian:
    French – Good people, we have historical ties.
    Germans – Always under bad influence, we dont trust them
    Italians – Very Noise people, but good as noise.
    Belgian – Nothing special
    Chezh – Brothers, Beers, but they dont like us after 68
    Slovaks – Good people, patriots, we respect them, BROTHERS!
    Serbians – We In the Balkan
    Poles – Always was against us.
    Spanish – Footbal. Good people.
    Denmark – Good friends.
    Croats – good people, but we hate fascist.
    Slovenians – Nothing special
    Romanians – Gypsy
    Hungarians – Turk, Mongols whatever.

    Comment by Russkiy — February 5, 2012 @ 1:52 pm

  595. I was born in Croatia to mix parents, Croat father and Serb mother. I guess I have an unique perspective. Generally speaking, as a child I was never accepted by either side, although my dad’s parents really loved me and didn’t ever allow anyone to make me feel bad in any way. Even though they never really accepted my mother (according to her). Though in time I came to realize the difference was not the fact that she was Serb but that she was not catholic (hence I suppose something you need to take up with Vatican). Heck, it was a known family story that my grandpa during WW2 at great personal risk has hid and fed (for a whole month) a Serb fleeing concentration camp in Jasenovac and then helped him escape to safe territory. Had he been discovered I probably would never have been born. So that is to all of you who think of Croats as stereotypical ustasha.
    My mom parents were somewhat more stuck up although in time I came to know my grandfather better. He was kinda quiet fella and most of his time spent reading books, I guess I’ve inherited a lot of his genes in that regards.
    When I grew up, my father was told in no uncertain terms that I (As his son and “Croat”) would never get a job because I was not serb. Heck, my mom was not loved by her own siblings much because of marrying my dad. In fact, any kind of acceptance was what we called “artificial English tight-lipped politeness” that hid real feelings.
    Fast forward, when new Croatian government came, I was finally able to get passport and leave all that craziness behind, or so I thought. When I came to “English speaking world” I was faced with a host of new stereotypes. I was being viewed as an idiot from Balkans (you know place where was a war etc…), despite the fact I had degree in Mechanical Engineering. For three years I worked the lowest possible job in a factory until I’ve saved enough and enrolled at University, thinking once I have their education I would be accepted better. Well, another bachelor and two Master degrees later (management and engineering) I’ve come to realize that problem for employers was not my “incompatible degree from Balkans” but the fact that I was born there. Never mind that I speak fluent English and French, probably better than 90% of population here.
    So even today at my workplace I have to be (and I am) 10 better than people I work with (for the same salary), just to be accepted, again not as same and equal but as somewhat inferior (yeah, just a touch you know, its like carrot and donkey thing, you never quite measure up). The fact that I live here for the last 17 year (i.e. few years less than in “Balkans”) doesn’t matter to most people as long as I have hint of accent ( a very faint by now).
    So there you have it. I don’t think racism or national hatred is a monopoly of any nation (and other comments above testify it loud and clear). It’s everywhere, and it’s scary. Scary, not so much for me, at this stage I really don’t care anymore, but for my child who is going to inherit this “bright new world”. Think about it is this really what you want your children and their children to go through. Isn’t really now the moment we all sober up and stop this bullshit. Thinking just how connected this world is where one hick up can disturb the whole economy and then thinking about how divided we all really are makes me shudder.
    In immortal words of Ronald Regan “I occasionally think how quickly our differences, worldwide, would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world”
    Of course, it is never going to happen, and we need to learn how to live together before we all the way of the dodo.

    Comment by John — February 5, 2012 @ 5:10 pm

  596. I am from England, but go to a pretty cosmopolitan university, so I interact with quite a few nationalities. On the British perspective, perhaps it is the fact I am surrounded by younger 18-24 year olds, but there never seems to be any kind of real prejudice or even negative conceptions over most European countries. The opposite in fact most of the time. For example, in the engineering courses, Germans are highly praised for their skills. We do actually think Germans are very hard working and efficient. Just like their cars! No one ever brings up WW2 or any of that kind of crap, we know how long ago it was. I think many Europeans may have their opinions swayed by the British tabloid newspapers, such as the Sun, which always big up these kind of rivalries.

    I’m originally from London, and while I admit that among the general population there is some negativity towards poles and eastern Europeans in general, I really do think it is mostly whipped up hysteria from the newspapers. Especially the right wing ones such as the daily mail. That is a bloody crap newspaper! I’ve worked with a few polish people before I went to university, and loads of the waiters around my area are eastern European too. They are very fast and VERY hard working. In fact, they sometimes work too hard, and people want to give them more money! However, quite a few of them need to brush up on their english skills, but that’s not really a failing, they’ll learn the intricacies more the longer they stay here.

    Again, Uni students don’t really have negative perceptions on many other European countries, we really like the Netherlands/Holland because of the pot and red light district. I’m going on a subsidised trip to Amsterdam this year, and it already has dozens of people going! I have a French room mate, and while I find him quite blunt, he is a nice fellow and has a good sense of humour.

    I know it’s not really European at all, but we have tonnes of Chinese/Vietnamese students here, and we all think of them as very shy, and they almost always stay within their own groups. Not that this is a bad thing, as they always come top in classes etc., but come on, socialise a bit with us english! We’re not that bad! ;)

    Obviously since most universities are rather liberal, we have quite a bad opinion of bible belt Americans e.g. from the southern and south western USA regions. And as a previous poster said, we hate watching the denounce our NHS as rubbish, it is not! However, most students probably have good perceptions of most other Americans, and are probably jealous of how much space they have! I would love to just go walking/ biking and loose myself in the wilderness, not possible in most areas of the UK, too crowded!

    Comment by Jon — February 5, 2012 @ 5:40 pm

  597. it’s funny how ppl keep postin on this site after 4 years! i dont have much to say at the moment though. maybe just one thing: i am german and i hate my own country quite a bit. just wanted to give you all different perspective. someone who cant stand his own ppl! i came around a lot (half of my family is from another country) and i lived in different other countries for several years, so i allow myself to anylse my own ppl here a bit.

    germans are incredibly low on self esteem since their abysmal world wars. in my opinion that is where everything that is so unbearable about german behavior originates from. if you look deep into a germans soul you will not find a spark of self esteem. but since it would be very un-german to admit your default, germany these days boast as if they were the center of the universere and as if they had invented every single item on this planet. they consider themselves much more important on the world stage then they are.

    by the way german does not have any culture of its own these days. germany successfully fucked itself up with its world-domination plans and is now just a piece of ****. i could rant about this stupid little country forever, that could have been a decent, respected country with good lifestyle and stuff. but this country choose to be the global-dork. i need to move out asap.

    Comment by Nobody — February 6, 2012 @ 3:07 am

  598. I thought this was very amusing, until I saw the part about Greece… tell me who actually does not consider Greece or Cyprus part of Europe? I see this is supposed to be funny so maybe that part was a joke? Or is it because the person who wrote this is actually even lazier than the Greeks and just didn’t want to spend the time in writing about them? I would have liked this article but that was a complete fail for the ending.

    DailyCandor: Actually, I wrote this several years ago, and you’ll probably find more and more Europeans who want Europe to have NOTHING to do with Greece.

    Comment by Lena — February 7, 2012 @ 12:29 am

  599. It’s strange how easily an entire country can become infamous in under three years… Before 2009 there were hardly any comments about Greece. Now with the financial crisis it suddenly became everyone’s favourite target. Kick em while they’re down huh? Why not, those arrogant b______s!

    How dare they persume to be European! Just because of geography! Or just because of having given the name Europe to the continent! …

    Or just because of having exported the alphabet and civilisation to the rest of Europe (through Rome or even directly)… Or just because of inventing the scientific method and every teacher in every “western” society now has to explain to his students just why Mathematics is called Mathematics and not Calculations for instance…

    Or just because of acting like a buffer zone for every invading army from the Persians to the Ottomans and now to every non-EU economic immigrant considered unwelcome to the EU (they are mostly deported to Greece rather to their home countries directly)…

    Or just because they actually FOUGHT AGAINST ALL INVADING ARMIES in the field of battle rather than having their king for instance surrender his crown to an enemy SOLDIER… Or just because they coined the term BARBARIANS to the Germanic people for THE END OF TIME (see Bavaria – Barbaria for more info)…

    Or just because ……………

    It is only natural to dispise someone who makes you feel less in comparison. So bring it! And thank you ;-)

    But I really feel angry towards some Greeks. Because instead of just uniting and getting back in charge of our country (I specificly left out Democracy out of the list above, simply because real Democracy is actually NOT PRACTISED anywere in the world – except maybe Switserland), they expect God to save them… But as Ben Franklin said “God helps those who help themselves”.

    Oh wait, ??? ????? ??? ????? ?????… DAMN GREEKS!! THIS ONE TOO???

    Comment by Giannis — February 8, 2012 @ 9:35 pm

  600. Ah, no Greek character support huh?

    Well, SIN ATHINA KE HIRA KINI loipon…

    Comment by Giannis — February 8, 2012 @ 9:38 pm

  601. By the way, the crown thing was NOT a refferance to 300. See early WWII nazi invasions of northern … European countries.

    Comment by Giannis — February 8, 2012 @ 9:51 pm

  602. Thank god you didn’t start talking about Cyprus… we may be considered Europeans, Middle Eastern, Greeks, Turks, Russia’s lapdog – any conceivable type of identity really. the only thing that most other Europeans know us for is our sandy beaches, scorching heat, a cheesy party town overrun by Brits (ayia napa), and continuous MOANING about a 40-year long conflict that never comes to an end (which is what the anti-Turks in Europe use as an excuse against accession…) and no, we don’t ride donkeys to work (i’ve been asked that a couple of times)!

    Comment by Alexandros Efstathiou — February 12, 2012 @ 4:15 am

  603. Whoever published did not have a clue about Poland.
    According to research the two nations Poles like most out of all nations all over the world are Czechs and Slovakians. Apart from that Poles have loads of jokes about Germans and they love to take the piss out of them. They are not scared…
    I dont know where u got ur information from but according Poland its crap

    Comment by PolefromGermany — February 13, 2012 @ 5:01 pm

  604. I am Greek and when I read the topic about the Greeks I just laughed…you see this is the truth about us…Europeans never really liked the Greeks for reasons that I’m not able to know as a simple citizen.and now that we are dealing with such huge financial problems and we have to tolerate the Germans,whose actions and choices are extremely fascist,Europeans do NOTHING to help….

    Comment by antigoni — February 16, 2012 @ 11:43 am

  605. Big parts of this are sadly pretty true as far as I experienced. But don’t be too prejudiced against german humor! Might not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s not like we don’t have any… (look at our chancellor)

    Also I have to add that, it’s only been the French who tend to use the word “Nazi” when I tell them I’m german and not the British. I’ve lived in the UK for 5 months now and haven’t heard it once!

    French people are considered rather stupid in Germany; the language too silly-sounding to learn and the food consisting of snails and frogs’ legs. Don’t blame me, I love pretty much everything about France!

    Talking about the Dutch, german people think of weed-smoking, cheese-eating windmill-owners that talk “german in a funny way”. The part about the language is really not far from the truth: A German and a Dutch could easily have a conversation without more than 10% or 20% of the words being misunderstood!

    I must agree with you saying that Germans don’t think very positive about polish people but if you ask a German in private, he will name you at least one friend (I’ve got two) with polish roots or tell you about a holiday in Poland (I’ve had a lovely time in Masuria, Warsaw, Gdansk and along the Baltic Coast) or, in my case, will tell you that her granddad was forced to leave his village in north-east germany during WW2 when the Polish occupied it and killed his brothers and sisters in a concentration camp. But that’s individual storys, the main trend is probably the clichée of car-stealing pissheads.

    The sad thing about Germany is, that the heritage of WW2 is causing a major lack of self-esteem. Most of the Germans feel ashamed to the point of not being proud of anything “typically german” and consider every fellow citizen who prefers a german product over a foreign one for whatever reason, a racist.

    I discovered this article 4 years too late but thanks for making me laugh!

    Comment by Swetlida — February 20, 2012 @ 3:17 pm

  606. FACT OF THE MATTER IS MOST IRISH LIKE THE ENGLISH, APART FROM A FEW DIE HARD REPULICANS BUT THEY ARE PRETTY SCATTERED…NOWADAYS !!! In Ireland 2012 we read all the British newspapers watch all the British TV & Shop in British stores and follow British sport. I in particular like the English people their mannerly cultured and reserved and say it like it is.Im 100% Irish born and bred here and .alot of my family are married to English people and all get on like a house on fire.. I dont on the other hand like the Scots or N. Irish as much… AS REGARDS POLISH AND EASTERN EUROPEANS COMING INTO IRELAND …They dont mix or integrate with us and nor us with them and are very CLIQUE AND NOT REALLY LIKED BY US !!! They are a different culture … But the people DISLIKED MOST BY IRISH PEOPLE ARE THE IRISH AMERICANS WHO PRETEND THEY ARE IRISH… CANT STAND THEM …..REALLY ANNOY US

    Comment by Steve G — February 21, 2012 @ 7:16 am

  607. LOL in reading Alexandros Efstathiou comment about Cyprus. Well, i always had an impression Cyprus is somehow a excentric country, a Greek Island with a Turkish ”bit” claimed by Turkey. Lefkosia (uhhh, Nicosia) looks like a beautiful city to me. A weird thing is that ”line” by U.N. that divides the country … a sort of ”Berlin Wall”. And the donkey thing… i even had falled here, imagined they climbing the island mountains xD

    As for the Greek, as i said, Brazilians always had good relations with them. My own city has many greek descendant people, and even a Neolea/ traditional dance club.

    Well, that’s it. Europe, put your hope (and money) in Ellada. Europeans, stop being such a blind nationalists. Greece and Greeks, hope is the last thing that reamained in Pandora’s Box. Don’t give up.

    Na ‘Se Kala! Agkalies apo Vrasilias! ;)

    Comment by BrazilianSurfer — February 22, 2012 @ 3:28 pm

  608. I am an American, and have had quite a bit of interest in Europe in my life, to say the LEAST. Admittedly, I still have a rather romantic view of Europe due to several reasons, I blame Disney… :D (Just kidding, Disney is awesome. :D I think Europe needs to be more like it used to be in some respects though, and I am referring to WESTERN Europe here, NOT Eastern Europe, Most of Eastern Europe is still, thankfully, not too “Americanized/modernized” (I hope)…) I’m roughly half British Isles (Scotland, England and Wales) and half German (mostly Bavarian and Swiss German) regarding my ancestry. So, from my limited perspective on Europeans, having known people of most European nationalities, some more than others (German, English, Celtic and Scandinavian folks/cultures/general dispositions are pretty familiar to most Americans from the west (Plains and Rockies to the Pacific Ocean), also the Italians and Dutch to a certain extent), here is what I think of the Europeans:

    1.) English: As a general rule, I LOVE the English, everything about them, but not modern England so much. (I’ve pretty much always been this way.) I don’t like it when the English try to be “American” in a certain sense, it kind of just… doesn’t… feel completely “right” to me… :D Though I keep those thoughts pretty much to myself, most of the time. I LOVE Medieval England (the fantasy element, of course, same thing for the rest of Europe, etc.), and the way England seemed to be to me before 1960 or so… Maybe 1965. (I’m NOT a liberal hippie, in case you didn’t pick that one up already…) Victorian manners/customs, etc. are AWESOME, but sure, I’m not completely fond of them all the time… Being a musician, I am EXTREMELY fond of Sir Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams, lots of those guys. Love the whole “spit and polish” thing… But I don’t dress in a suit and tie everyday. :) Incidentally, If you go to Utah, Idaho, Arizona, etc., you will likely meet many, many Mormons (I am Mormon), and you will no doubt encounter a LOT of Mormons who are QUITE fond of the English as well as other surrounding peoples, the Celts, Germans, Scandinavians, etc. We tend to talk a lot about family history, but it has more to do with being “connected” with ancestors and those we are close to, etc. in a very emotional/spiritual sense, more that kind of thing, than most anything else. Other things about the English… Generally more friendly than cold, a little “ritzy” or sophisticated sometimes, more conservative than most Europeans (still), highly Christian and connected with old customs, creatures of habit, but intellectually VERY curious, moderately adventurous, polite/well-mannered, a little nerdy sometimes, hmmm… The soccer hooligans are pretty rough, sure… The English overall are very intelligent, perceptive, peaceful, and shrewd as a general rule, and can be crafty and scheming just as easily as elegant, refined and virtuous, etc. I like the elegant and refined/virtuous thing MUCH more, go figure… And yes, there are a LOT of English youth that are very, very aggressive, vulgar and intense, sure… Not sure why it has to be like that in modern times, esp. in the cities of Europe…

    2.) Scottish: I still feel like I should understand the Scots more, its kind of this ongoing feeling I have… I feel, very strongly, like it is hard to define the Scottish “character” without having some kind of relation to the English “character”… But, I can say with some degree of certainty, that the Scots are more “rustic”, like their Welsh and Irish cousins (compared to the English), and tend to be lovers of nature, animals, plants, farming, the outdoors, music, crafts, the “simple” pleasures, etc. There is a deep sense of justice, fairness, personal liberty, dignity, etc. that the Scots have, that I believe many other peoples share as well-the Welsh, the English, and so on… (Though the English government has not been very kind to the Celts over the years, to say the LEAST.) The British Isles is a bastian of Christianity and liberty, really… And Scotland is brimming with a deep, DEEP love of Christianity and living an honorable life, etc. Very few other peoples value freedom so highly… Other things… Ruggedness, toughness, stubbornness, going with your “gut”, imagination, warmth, kindness, courage, following the path of a “different” drummer/being different from everyone else, a certain “taciturn” aspect, showing and feeling particularly strong emotions, the conservative thing (like the English), being creatures of habit, hmmmm… Yeah, I think that kind of sums up the Scots, its kind of like, they are similar to the English in many respects, but still, not at all like them (very much a rich vs. poor or urban vs. rural thing still…).

    3.) Welsh: Not as knowledgeable about them, but the Welsh are very close to the Scots and Irish, also the English… Also the Britons in France. I see the Welsh as being very peaceful and easy going overall, very musical and imaginative as well. :)

    4.) Irish: The Irish make me feel like I am too “stuffy”… I love the Irish in general, they are just great, GREAT people, but some of them are pretty wild and crazy… :D

    5.) French: Haven’t known too many French… They’re ok, I’m pretty sure the snobby thing is very overrated… I like their VERY “artsy” culture, I always have… French culture is kind of a culture of indulgence and taking the time to enjoy life, with a bit of eccentricity… Live the good life… :D

    6.) German: The other VERY familiar culture to me in Europe, other than Britain. Germans are best defined by their regional origins and cultures (Prussian, Rhinelander, Bavarian, Saxon, etc.). But overall, I tend to not joke much with Germans, only when I feel like I have a good sense of what they find humorous (which is, often, very similar to my own sense of humor, as it is…). :) Germans want to get things DONE… Otherwise, they feel kind of useless or a burden on society, etc. Actually, its also kind of an intellectual “boredom” thing, I really believe that some cultures (like the German culture) are almost driven by independent thought, imagination, innovation, attention to detail, the constant drive to improve and make stuff better… There isn’t much tolerance for laziness, esp. LONG TERM laziness… There is the scientific, calculating, scrutinizing, highly detailed thing about the Germans, sure… To me, Germany feels very much like a second homeland, more especially, Bavaria and Southern Germany, Switzerland as well…

    7.) Polish: The Poles are like the Germans, just a little less “intense”… :D

    8.) Russian: The Russians, like many other Northern and Eastern Europeans, are rather stubborn about their notions and opinions on things. This being said, I still love Russians, quite a bit in fact, but they can be kind of intense in a very similar but “different” way than Germans… Both peoples have this REALLY intense “stare down” thing, the Finns, etc. prob. do it too sometimes. The evil eye, the icy look, etc. Sometimes, its just a matter of pride or a defensive mechanism. …Sometimes, not too often, it is actually more of a loathing thing, or meant to “size up” someone, have them “measure up” to you, so to speak… Basically, to MANY folks north of the Alps and east of the Rhine, talk is cheap and actions are what counts, and its best to be polite, but still not have to “back down” so to speak, from being assertive, even aggressive on occasion, etc. I think the Russians tend to be people of few words, but are very sincere, emotional, tough, determined, intense, sober-minded, good, no-nonsense people on the whole.

    9.) Italian: VERY friendly, social, chatty, fun loving, etc. Its hard to dislike Italians, though perhaps they tend to not take some things so seriously as the Germans, Russians, etc. I’ve noticed the strong desires to look “cool”, to have the latest and greatest designer clothes, car (sports car), jewelry, etc., among Italians… What can I say, Italians love to look GOOD. :) Oh, and a little pizza pie here and there is really, really great too. :) Also, I seriously think the Mafia thing is not a very big thing any more…

    10.) Spanish: I don’t know very many Spaniards, but I have a VERY high opinion of them. :)

    11.) Greek: Friendly, loud, fun loving, casual, relaxed, spontaneous, sporty, sophisticated, I love everything about Greeks and Greek culture. Though, like the Italians, I’m not sure how much “kidding” I could “endure”, dep. on who was the brunt of the joke… :D (I seriously doubt I’d ever “lose” it in a FRIENDLY setting anyway with any folks from the Mediterranean…) :D

    12.) Dutch: Neat and tidy, easy-going, often tall and thin (more the Frisians), intelligent, the Dutch are quite different from the Germans, for instance, regarding social interactions (the Dutch are bigger on the small talk thing perhaps, than the Germans, Germans tend to not go much for small talk), and there is a similar “reserved” or generally mellow, affable emotional state the Dutch tend to have in a social sense, much like many English, for example, compared with the more “driven” or “get to the point” Germans and Russians… I’ve always liked the Dutch, but often don’t feel to “close” to them, in the sense that I feel close to Germans and Scots…

    13.) Danes: Kinda like the Dutch, but more like “in between” the Dutch and Germans… The Danes are pretty sharp folks, very similar to the English also, more the “fancy” or polished/debonair thing… Very musical/artsy, scientific and intelligent folks in general… I love Denmark very much, and still feel a drive to connect with the Danes a bit more in general in my life. And yes, I’m sure that many of them love sailing, the outdoors, etc.

    14.) Norwegians: Yep, they’re a bit more like the country bumpkins, I know… But I love ‘em on the whole. :)

    15.) Swedes: I can’t, for the life of me, figure out the Swedish mind. I’ve really, really tried, believe me, I have. But it is a complete mystery to me. Someday I might understand them, I but I sure as heck don’t understand them well right now…

    16.) Finns: I LOVE the Finns, they are great folks. :) (But I don’t want to get on their “bad” side… :D )

    17.) Czechs: Haven’t known many Czechs. But I’m sure they are a lot like the Poles and Germans.

    18.) Balkans (Romania, Serbia, Croatia, etc.): Haven’t known many folks from these countries, but they seem to be decent folks overall. :) (I think that guys tend to feel less “inhibited” in muslim countries, as well as much of the Balkans, by the way-women’s rights, etc., is not as “developed” persay, as much as in the west… Though the Balkans are prob. doing ok compared to a lot of other areas more in Asia, parts of Africa, etc.)

    19.) Hungary: They’re a lot like the Germans too, just more “Central Asian/Turkic” like, I suppose, I dunno… Haven’t known too many folks from Hungary, but honestly, they’d fit right in in Bavaria, etc. Nice folks, from what I know.

    20.) Baltics (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia): Kinda like in between the Swedes and Russians… Serious, sincere, blonde/blue-eyed, and kind enough overall, the key is to just be relaxed, kindly and non-confrontational, and they will tend to be as well. I think this can apply to Russians as well, quite often… Though I think sometimes Russians still get a bad rap regarding the whole “Anti-American thing”, not sure how much that is deserved sometimes…

    Any other cultures in Europe, well, I suppose its a familiarity thing. I think I’ve got the biggies though. :)

    Comment by Ben Gessel — February 25, 2012 @ 8:57 am

  609. Interesting read…although I have to say that a lot of people seem to take the whole topic way too serious. Stereotyping people because of their origin doesn’t work, cause there’s no such thing as “the Germans” or “the Italians” etc.
    I am German, from Bavaria to be precise, and the people here are very different from the ones in northern Germany, for example. I guess the same is true for any other country. So the whole prejudice thing is just something that should be taken for what it is: funny, but not true at all.

    That being said, I wanna let you all in on some Bavarian stereotyping (may sometimes be the same for the rest of Germany, but I can’t be sure). And remember, it’s all just in good fun ;)

    French: Kind of arrogant, but very elegant people, eat strange stuff like escargot and frog legs. Refuse to speak any other language than French, even if they could (witnessed that personally in southern France, some woman let my mom stammer out her request in her poor tourist French for about five minutes before revealing that she was actually fluent in German)

    Italians: Very passionate people, kind of childish and unorganized, men are all machos with an unhealthy relationship to their mothers, love scooters, can’t drive safely, have great food

    Austrians: Western Austria is virtually the same as Bavaria (there’s even a joke here that when God made the Bavarian people, he threw the ones that weren’t perfect back over the alps, so the Austrians are kind of second class Bavarians), eastern Austria is full of slavic people who speak a strange dialect

    Swiss: Speak funny, are very slow, make great cheese

    Belgium: Not much to say, make great chocolate

    Dutch: Home of cheese and tulips, live in trailers, seem hardly ever to be home because they’re constantly jamming up the Autobahn

    English: UK and Engalnd are pretty much viewed as the same thing, bad food, great sense of humor

    Poles: Used to steal our cars, now many of them live and work here but have their cars registered with their relatives in Poland to avoid the higher German tax (even though many Germans are very angry about that, they would do the same thing if it were the other way round)

    Czech: Not much to say, really…

    Croats/Serbs/Slovenians: Seem to hate each other, but are generally viewed as nice people by the Germans

    Spanish: Love paella and bull fighting; most peole only think of Mallorca when thinking of Spain

    Portugese: no real opinion that I know of

    Russia/Ukraine/Belarus: pretty much one thing. Very poor people, some filthy rich oligarchs, not nice countries at all. Russians in Germany are percieved as loud and ill mannered

    Romania: Lags behind European standards, send their children to beg in Germans cities

    Scandinavia: Admired for their better education, generally percieved as nice, beautiful people

    Finnish: Strange language, very depressed cause it’s always dark there, love saunas and alcohol. Also envied for their education standards

    I also wanna say something about Amercians, since they seem to be involved in this discussion as well: Germans think that a lot of American stuff is really cool (like music, movies, sitcoms, etc.), but hate American politics (G.W. Bush and Sarah Palin, anyone?) and think that a lot of Americans are very poorly educated and ignorant (knowing virtually nothing about the rest of the world, apart from what is discussed here), also superficial, lazy (drive anywhere, detest walking) and unhealthy (=too fat for their own good)

    Maybe there’s some truth in all that stereotyping (I do think, for example, that some Germans are kind of robotic and not funny at all), but mostly it’s just crap. We’re basically much more alike than we’d like to think :)

    Comment by Fine — February 26, 2012 @ 7:14 am

  610. “DailyCandor: Actually, I wrote this several years ago, and you’ll probably find more and more Europeans who want Europe to have NOTHING to do with Greece.”

    What does that even mean? First of all, you’ll find that most of what you describe as “Europeans” don’t think of themselves as Europeans. They think of themselves as Germans, Italians, etc. The homogeneity you assume is non-existent.

    Second, Greece has been part of the EU since 1981. The real grievance at the moment is not with “Europe” (which is a meaningless term as far as I’m concerned unless you define what Europe is – if it’s a geographical area then it’s nonsense to talk about Greece being out of it since all maps of Europe include Greece. If it’s political then I say Greece has been in the EU since the 80s and AFAIK, there has never been any reason to exclude it from the Union) but with the eurozone – i.e. the common currency. The person you responded to didn’t mention the eurozone (of which it is true that Greece should never have been a member) but rather Europe which as I said is a meaningless term unless you define it though neither of you have done so far.

    Third, If it is the case that most EU members (not “Europeans”) do not want Greece in the eurozone that doesn’t mean that “Europe” doesn’t want anything to do with Greece. Certainly, Greece can fix it’s economy and then a monetary union could be possible. In the meantime, Greece will remain in the European Union and AFAIK, nobody thinks that they should be removed from it (I fail to see what would be accomplished by such a bold move)

    Fourth, you’re the epitome of what the world thinks is wrong about Americans. Supremely ignorant and superficial but very opinionated red necks. Good job.

    DailyCandor: Tossing out a racist argument at the end undermines any attempt to sound credible, doesn’t it? You sound like a petty, bitter person, and bashing an American for telling you an uncomfortable truth will not make Germans and other fellow EU members who are paying for your collective fiscal incompetence like you any more.

    Comment by EM — February 29, 2012 @ 10:49 am

  611. 1. “Your collective fiscal incompetence” – who’s “your”?
    2. What’s the uncomfortable truth? that you fail to distinguish between the EU and the eurozone and the fact that the former has existed without the latter for decades and even right now the EU is comprised of 27 members only 17 of which are in the eurozone? Nobody is against, as far as I know, Greece being in the EU. Not now, not ever. It’s a non-issue and if you can tell me what would be accomplished by Greece leaving the EU, I may accept it. So far, you’ve only acted insulted (more on this below). “Europe” is a meaningless term and as I said, if what you mean by Europe is the EU, then you talk complete and utter nonsense as nobody wants Greece out of the EU. Some want Greece out of the eurozone but that doesn’t say anything about the EU or indeed, “Europe’. Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, etc are not in the eurozone. Does that mean they are not “European”?
    3. I think I was careful enough to say that that is what the world thinks about Americans. I did not say what I, personally, think about them. I do not believe that these stereotypes are true at all but arguably the rest of the world does. What YOU do however, is make them credible through your own personal ignorance and superficiality. I do not think that people’s personal failings have much to do with their nationality. As I said, you’re the one making such arguments look respectful through your own behaviour. So please don’t act as though I’ve insulted an entire nation. That’s what you do though you don’t even realise it.

    DailyCandor: This was really amusing tripe. Thank you for making my morning!

    Comment by EM — March 1, 2012 @ 7:41 pm

  612. Everyone, listen up… I’m very, very, German and proud of it, i believe all Germans are proud of their ethnicity. We make top of the line machinery and have one of the best economies in the world. Really the only bad thing that you can say about us would be about WWII(the Nazis). To tell you the truth I still don’t understand why everyone is mocking us out about that. Yes, I do understand that the nazis were very bad people and did very bad things. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying I’m on their side. But what I am trying to say is not all Germans are that bad. In the 40′s, they were basically brainwashed by hitler. They had no clue what they were doing. In conclusion, all I’m trying to say is please spread the word that Germans aren’t all bad.

    PS. For all u Germans out there… Alle anderen lander sind doch nur neidisch, dass wir Europa zu dominieren.

    Comment by Greg — March 5, 2012 @ 12:45 pm

  613. Hello!I’m Greek and i would like to say the stereotypes of the Europeans from Greeks

    Italians:A nation very similar to us,especially the south part,great people,great language,lovely food,very loud

    Spanish:Famous here for the ‘th’ sound (similar to greek sounds) and the very big names(that actually do noty exist in Spain but in Latin America)

    French:Snob,very chic language,good food

    Germans:Barbarians,bad people who hate Greece

    British:loud only when they’re coming to Greece,London is a very common tourist place for Greeks,the center of Europe,celebrities home,awful weather

    Cypriots:Our brothers

    Portuguese:We feel we share the same things and we have the same problems and in general we have a lot of common things

    Scandinavian:Norwegian/Danish the most don’t even remember them Swedish:beautiful girls and boys with blue eyes and very tall who come in Greece for sex :P ,theu supposed to be very cold people

    Balkans:Close to us,similar but not similar too,very poor.The most(unfortunately) dislike the most of Balkanians with the exception of Serbians

    Russians:COOOOOLD PLACE,vodka place,sexy russian girls etc. :P

    I think that’s all i had to say.I still can’t understand why Greece has nothing to do with Europe and i would like Daily condor to answer me in this since i really could not say that Greece is in Africa or in Asia?Personally i believe Greece is for sure a European country who is been influeced by lots of countries :Arabs,Italians,Turkish,Bulgarians,Russians,Spanish,French even Germans
    Great site! ;)

    Comment by Constantine — March 5, 2012 @ 1:48 pm

  614. Its really funny how the stereotypes are so old fashioned. British cooking is now up there with the best that europe can offer, we now have some of the best modernist chefs around, but no european would ever like to admit it.
    I have travelled throughout europe and have really enjoyed spending time with french, spanish and germans. I have always found common ground with all europeans. I never actually hear a bad word about our european neighbours. Yes you might hear the stereotypes once but hardly ever, more as a bit of fun, not exactly for serious. I love both france and the US, but for different reasons, france for their way of life, their love of good conversation, and the US for its music and pop culture. So that fact is a bit hit and miss. You find that the uneducated in any country tend to drag it’s name through the mud. Intelligent brits love their european neighbours. Also the younger generation of brits living abroad only speak of positive experiences when I talk about their experience of another culture. Most brits now spend large periods travelling the world before they settle for a career, you will find they are open minded and always love a drink and a laugh. These stereotypes are really funny, but they will never present you with a true picture of reality.
    On a personal note, I have never understood the whole italian thing, I have always found the men to be really old fashioned with macho image, trying to play the lover, I know that most women find them quite funny to laugh at and struggle to take their persona seriously.
    I have found, french and educated english women the most appealing, as they are subtle and mysterious. They can also laugh at themselves which is extremely attractive.
    But on the whole, never hear bad remarks about any of europe, only positives, maybe things have moved on.

    Comment by chopzy — March 13, 2012 @ 3:00 pm

  615. Hello everybody! I am SERBIAN..this is our view of europe:
    generally Serbs:
    Love : russians and greeks the most..we are orthodox brothers :D

    scandinavia: we dont know much about those countries, but we really respect them cuz they have good life standard

    portugal/spain : nothing special..tourism… novelas are the first thing that comes on (but we know that those come mainly from mexico)

    italy: nice clothes to buy there….boys mainly look like gay…….pizza

    germany/austria/switzerland: hard workers, our ppl come there to work……..germans (and americans) are those who were responsible for the mess in balkans and break of yugoslavia (and with lil bit of our help :) ) …because of their geo-political stuff and economy … if it werent for them yugoslavia would be today 4th economy and military in EU as it was before the break . Unfortunately serbs are mostly blamed for that mess……….but generally we dont hate germans, we really respect their country

    eastern europe: just soviet , nothing more than that …RUSSIA the boss! hehe

    france: i dont know…eiffel tower, sunny … good lifestyle, have money, ….ugly ppl and hard language ( they speak only french)

    england: cold , fat, ugly ppl…..i dont know…seem to be very decent ppl…i love their accent….

    and balkans lol : what a messy land …hahahha :
    romania/bulgaria: they are OK, but they have lots of gypsies
    Slovenia: respect, we love them…
    croatia: :) )) lol pussies who hide behind “their protectors” who just use them to make a mess in yugoslavia…very weak and coward, traitors…..We love so much beating them in sports and we do that always ;) They EXTRIMELY hate us, but A LOTTT heheh … but generally we dont hate them (or there are very few ppl who do)…..they are inferior…no history and glory..

    Bosnia and Herzegovina : love that land…cuz its half ours ( but soon Republika Srpska will be independent)…we dont hate muslims in bosnia ( they are just traitors, ex christians, who transfered to islam when turks were here cuz of misereable benefits) …i dont have an opinion

    Montenegro: SERBIAN SPARTA! :D ..very brave, lazy, love them..just politics separated us, but its better like this….we go there to the seaside, there are many russians there now, they bought all coast ..hehhe
    FYROM or macedonia:call it however (sorry greeks)..they should change the name cuz macedonia is greece…. however: Serbs love those ppl….end of story

    albania: miserable, insignificant, primitive, we have a big population of them in our south region kosovo because they interbreed like insects…what to say : KOSOVO IS SERBIA !!!!!!!!!!!!!

    sorry to those countries i didnt mention: i dont have and opinion

    And finally Serbia, what we think about ourselves: we love our country sooo much, we would do everything for our land..we dont hate anyone and u shouldnt listen to anti serbian propaganda(especially in USA), you will make sure that u were wrong in that ,when u visit serbia…we like sports so much and to be in competition… courageous, sometimes stubborn, warm, with a big heart, temperamental, someone would say that we are prepotent and that we overestimete ourselves and our country but its cuz serbia through the history was always in trouble and we always fought for indipendence and our goals no metter with WHO
    …Its the country of sports, beautiful nature,mountains, churches,monasteires,art, famous for music EXIT festival and Gucha, and many other things to offer, good and hospitable ppl, its not very expensive for europeans and u could have an awesome time for a little money.

    It doesnt metter where are u coming from, YOU ARE WELCOME! :)

    Comment by dumaaa — March 16, 2012 @ 2:52 am

  616. The followibg is the negative perceptions of the following countries:

    English: Loud, arrogant, disrespectful of others,
    French: Arrogant, rude, obnoxious
    German: Boring, no humour,
    Italian: lazy, corrupt
    Spanish: racist, uncompromising
    Portuguese: simple, too laid back
    Greek: liars, con artists, hate everyone including their own
    Balkans: dangerous, very unfriendly
    Russians: corrupt, criminals
    Scandinavians: no negatives
    Eastern Europeans: uneducated, cold hearted

    Positives:
    English: Fun

    Comment by Adriano — March 17, 2012 @ 2:34 am

  617. Okay everything was true except the comment about the Greeks. Seriously? It’s the birthplace of your little western civilization. The English language is 60% Greek. Our history is monumental, and you DARE say that? Ignorant, rude, arrogant asshole. Uneducated too! Just because you’re bitter because you’re poor and are having a little debt trouble, doesnt mean you have to be disrespectful. Bye :-)

    DailyCandor: Translation – “All stereotypes are funny and true except those about us.”

    Comment by Dana — March 21, 2012 @ 9:30 pm

  618. Oh by th way giannis, beautiful post. I take my hat off to you.

    Comment by Dana — March 21, 2012 @ 9:35 pm

  619. Funny!! But the Greek one is kinda lazy :-P can you please write something more about Greeks, daily candor? Surely you have more thoughts on them :) pretty please? They ARE technically in Europe after all :D

    Comment by Elisa — March 22, 2012 @ 8:44 am

  620. Okay I am a greek,First of all “europe” is a greek word,Herodotus was the first historian to classify europe,asia ect.Secondly,We greeks caused our economic situation,we should have been barred from entering the euro,don’t know why other countries kept lending our government money when our government is inadequate.

    Turks:We don’t hate them!!!! Sick and tired of europeans asking me or assuming we hate turks.What happened in the past is the past,and now we are in the future.Come on guys! We are in the 21 st century!

    Albanians:Majority of them are illegal immigrants,who have a reputation for thieving.To be fair alot of them were taken advantage of from us asshole’s. :)

    Macedonians:Fake name,fake culture.Enough said.

    Italians:Absolutely love the Italians! Adore them,their culture,they are like us,enjoy life so much.(Partly what got us in this crisis) Se latreuo!!!

    Scandinavian Countries:Introverts,softly spoken,need to loosen up a bit,but have amazing standards of living.Plus love their effeciency.

    Belgium,Netherlands,Switz:Grow a backbone! Stop being so neutral! Don’t you have an opinion on anything?Oh and stop bending over backwards for your immigrants.

    Austria:Hitler was born here.

    Germany:Caused ww2 and the holocaust.Amazing people.So effiecent,Powerhouse of Europe,yet are starting to be resented by us greeks because we don’t want the bailout or the euro.But love Germans!Even if they don’t love us anymore.

    Eastern europe:Slavs,all speak a similar language,look similar and are known for: sorry guys :) ….cheap women.

    Brits: I like them,but when they come to my country the women turn into sluts,the men are all over the place and they are generally drunk most of the time.Don’t have much respect for local people.

    Portugal:What portugal? A miniture spain.

    Spain:Another mediterranean people who know how,and like to party.Are cultured people.

    France:I like the people,love the food,nice culture,are a bit arrogent :) refuse to speak english,when they can :)

    And finally Greeks: We are loud,outgoing,assholes’,rude(especially athenians!),Friendly,love to party and enjoy life.We are proud due to historical reasons,have a strong culture,are close to our religion(Orthodox Christianity).We also have strong family ties.Sometimes the family can be a pain in the ass,but we are family,we love eachother,and stick together.We also stand up for what we believe in,and REFUSE to be bullied.We are passionate and strong willed.( Did I forget assholes?)

    We generally get a long with most people.Our country is a HUGE mess in every aspect:economiclally,socially and politicaly.So sorry if we come across as a little crazy :) We have a joke in greece. “When were were creating democracy,maths,science,poetry,theatre ect.They were all swinging in trees”. :) Did I mention we are assholes?
    Oh one more thing: Yes,we still practise anal sex,but now its done between men and women.

    Comment by Anastasia — March 22, 2012 @ 5:08 pm

  621. Well, this article is a piece of bullshit, at least as far as Poland is considered. I’m 100% Pole and this is simply lie that Poles don’t like Czechs, Slovaks and Lithuanians. Czechs are actually one of our favourite nations. Same about the statement that we like Germans. Most Poles (especially older generation) don’t like them. Younger Poles usually feel neutral about them, I’ve never heard “I like Germans” from any of my friends. I can just imagine that these notes about other countries are same bullshit.

    DailyCandor: Never said the Polish like Germans. You admire and emulate them, and fear them a bit. As for supposedly loving Czechs, well, that wasn’t my experience.

    Comment by Pole — March 24, 2012 @ 4:36 am

  622. well from my northern ireland, i’ll gave our stance,

    we hate being called either a) british or b) irish depending on what religion you are, protestants consider themselves being british and catholics being irish,

    northern irish protestants hate being called irish by the english and hates it when other nationals, especially amercians say for example, belfast ireland, instead of belfast northern ireland, one island two countries,

    northern irish catholics hate being referred to as british and part of the untied kingdom

    in general to other nations, we see
    english as twats
    welsh people with funny accents
    scottish as drunks or druggies
    germans are humourless uptight and rigid, and normally the butt of jokes regarding the world wars.
    french as rude cowards and arrogant
    dutch as laid back and stoners
    italians as sexy, good food
    turks as perverts
    swedish hot blonds
    poles and other former soviet east europeans as untrustworthy and dangerous especially when drunk
    spanish, portuguese, , danish, swiss, austrians, belgians no real opinion

    just to comment on americans

    we either hate them or love, nothing new there

    Comment by marty86 — March 29, 2012 @ 3:02 pm

  623. I’m sorry to have to correct you on this one but Swedes tend to feel strongly superior to most other countries especially when we’re abroad. All you who have visited Sweden didn’t you find us all just a little bit overly clear when you asked for help or directions? I don’t know how the other scandinavian countries are when it comes to this but they should have just as good a reason to feel superior… Denmark has a strong economy just like all northern countries, they were a big power in their past just likethe Swedes. The Norwegians have always been pushed around by Denmark and Sweden but recently they found oil and joined the other strong northern economies plus they always have this interesting feel of smugness towards Swedes. You were right about the finns though, they are kinda cold and actually really uncomfortable to be around at a party until they get drunk at which point they do tstrangest things ever.
    So yeah Swedes act really condescending towards foreigners and are disliked in all the other nordic countries to the point where it can be hard to get a good drink in Denmark… luckily I’m from Skåne (scania) and we’re okay by most danes and norwegians and it’s fun to confuse them with our difficult to understand Skånska dialect

    Comment by Ulf — April 1, 2012 @ 4:07 am

  624. In my opinion, all the borders of the European nations are wrong. That’s why Europeans hate each other so much. For example: Nice and Corsica should be Italian, but they are French. South Tyrol should be Austrian, but it’s Italian. Northern Ireland should be part of the Republic of Irland, but is under the United Kingdom. Then, look at Greece vs Macedonia, Kosovo vs Serbia, Greece vs Turkey for Istanbul (Constantinople!!! \o/) or in Cyprus for the fake-Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus… etcetc.
    In addition, we fought against each other all the time since the fall of the Roman Empire until 20 years ago.

    I’m a Europeanist and I love all European countries and people. We should create a centralized state, not like shitty E.U., that includes all of Europe (from Portugal to Belarus / Ukraine [+ Russia if Russians wish], from Cyprus to Iceland, + Armenia and Georgia. Except Turkey, but before we have to take back Istanbul and Northern Cyprus, because they don’t belong to the Turks. These areas are European and Turks aren’t European, so to unify Europe, we must expel them from Europe, and confine them in Anatolia). I think that all the peoples of Europe have strengths and weaknesses, and only with the fusion of European countries into a single super-state and all citizens in one people, we can complement one another and we can create a superpower to dominate the world. As in the past, the world was dominated by individual european powers, in the future it will be dominated once again by Europe, no longer divided but united…and no one will stop us!!!

    It’s true, we have different languages??, but we can learn a common language in a democratic way, for example, Esperanto for doing wrong to none about the common language to speak.

    BTW Greetings from Italy, I love you all european friends (I’m not gay <_< I don't use gel and I dont' tan my skin like 20% of italian population…yes, in Italy who tans their skin and use the gel is a minority, they are objects of derision in Italy too.), and I hate all the scum that is immigrating from Africa into Europe (niggers and muslims).
    Bye!! \o

    Comment by EUROPE FTW!!! — April 3, 2012 @ 1:19 pm

  625. I am scottish, I do agree on most parts of the post and coming from my point of view, we love mostly everywhere but ofcourse england. But I wouldnt say all of it just the north and another would be german for obvious reasons which as usual because of the past. Other than both of those countrys we dont have a reason to hate any other country or to be hated back but I dont know thats just my opinion!

    Comment by Jason95 — April 3, 2012 @ 5:03 pm

  626. @@@@Comment by marty86 — March 29, 2012 @ 3:02 pm funny as how you never mentioned how you northern irish see yourselves.. im souther irish co.cork born and bred and give me the english people who you refer to as prats any day … most southern irish dont like northern irish whatever side your on .. i find all northern irish accents grate on me and alot of them have a chip on their shoulders .. fact is most of the south dont really want northern ireland back and most people over in england dont give a dam about northern ireland either and would glady hand it back .. as for americans trying to be irish they are just the most annoying people of all more so then the norther irish !! ….. as regards some of the nicest people in europe give me the spanish any day ..

    Comment by JAMES SMITH — April 5, 2012 @ 6:13 am

  627. To be honest, this website is dead funny, but it’s annoying when some people are taking these stereotypes so seriously!! it’s wrong, to hate an entire nation, based of an old war or assumptions ect…

    But yeah, as someone from england, I can definatly see, why we’re sterotyped as drunk and easy or whatever, and it’s probably because, when we go to another country on holiday, we often go with the intention to get drunk and party!! especialy if we’re holidaying in spain and portugal, there’s a lot of night clubs there!! (at least were i was staying!!)
    What we think of the rest of europe?
    To be honest, I’d say we didn’t have an opionion, on most of it, or at least we don’t think about it alot,…
    but heres what I think of them..

    France: lovely place, great culture.. but the people?..not so great. I’m sure most french people, arn’t snobby and arrogent ect, but when I went there, I found them to be that way… I think the nicest people there, were the asylum-seekers, and immagrents and homeless, who treid to con you out of money under the eiffel tower, because at least they were polite!

    Spain: I LOVE spain!! The people are freindly, and the whole place is sunny, and there is a lot of night-life, according to hear, spanish people are racist, but I’ve never seen that myself..

    Portugal: seem’d a lot like spain, or maybe it’s just because I visited a tourest area..

    Germany: I’ve never really spoken to a german, other than online, they seem polite if not a little arrogent and uptight, a lot of the older generation in britaian hate the germans for obvouis reasons, but thats in the past now..

    Italians; They seem kinda like a mix between the french and the spanish.. freindly but a little lazy, with good cooks and a rich colture.. The only italians i know are pretty much arseholes, but I’m not gonna base a country of them..

    Irish: my ancestors where irish that came over during the potato famine,(the famine was basicly englands fault!) I see them as happy hard-working people, and i have a lot of southern-irish teachers at my school, there all religouse, but nice, as teachers go…

    so yeah setoe-types, i wouldn’t take them serously, we’re all just people and we all seem to think our countrys the best
    (I don’t i want to live in america, were its sunny, but they still speak english!XD)

    oh yeah!! and I don’t care if the rest of the world hates it, british cooking is tasty!!! fish an chips forever!!XD

    Comment by hannah o'brain — April 7, 2012 @ 1:47 pm

  628. I try not to base people of there nationalities, some people here, are taking it all to seriuoriusly, and are maikng themselves look stupid, by bigging up there own countrys, and bellittling others, I hate it when people act arrogent! Just remember we’re all people no matter where we come from, were not so different from eachother!! stero-types are fine as a joke, but i don’t get why some people have so much hate!! yeaht his websites funny, and I’m not personaly offended by setroe-typees of my countyry, it’s just the attatude, of some people here really makes me cringe!!

    Comment by alice k — April 7, 2012 @ 1:52 pm

  629. The standard joke in Poland starts “Pole, Russian and German enter the bar(or anything else)…” hatred towards Ukrainians, Slovaks and Lithuanians is made up, I never met any sentiments like that in Poland.

    Comment by BackyardAsshole — April 19, 2012 @ 4:26 am

  630. Well I’m Indonesian and I have a German exchange student friend, his name is Felix. Well I must say that he’s a very nice boy with very nice sense of humor, even though he can be a bit cheeky sometimes. Felix and I used to play chess and bingo together in the class during recess, he cheated me during the game I can still recall :P that. He is also very knowledgeable, he knows quite a lot everything about Europe and Indonesia. I used to tell stories and asking everything about Europe with him, he also likes to show me all the good stuff from Germany and Europe. Me and my classmates love him so much, we really miss him when he went back home to Germany. We had so many nice memories with him, we used to joked about him, but we still accept him as a team mate, classmate, and as a best friend. There’s only one downside of him, he is extremely LAZY.

    Comment by Tiffany Cheng — April 23, 2012 @ 12:45 am

  631. Best Car: Germany and Japan (Audi, Toyota, BMW, Mitsubishi, Mercedes, Honda)
    Best Cosmetics: France and UK (Lancome, The Body Shop, L’Oreal, Marks and Spencer, L’Occitane, MAC)
    Best Fashion: Italy and France (Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Channel, Hermes, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dolce&Gabbana)
    Best Chocolate: Belgium and Switzerland
    Best Butter: Netherlands and Denmark
    Best Furniture: Sweden (IKEA)
    Best Engine: Japan, Germany, and USA
    Best Musics: UK and USA

    Comment by mary — April 23, 2012 @ 1:24 am

  632. Fuck you! We Poles don’t fear the German pigs!

    Comment by Pole — April 23, 2012 @ 5:32 pm

  633. To commentator no. 609:

    Americans are considered ignorant because of the brainwashing from the media they have back in their country. The media always try to succumb the American society to be the sheep in the line, following all the media that’s really saddening. Especially Right-Winger medias like the Fox News and Rush Limbaugh are brainwashing the American society. Also, you must aware with the fact that there is a very strong anti-intellectualism in the U.S which contributes the American ignorance, they always think that being smart is “not cool”. The phenomenon is being called “Dumbing down Americans”.

    American are viewed as superficial because Americans are pressured to fit the “social standard”. So, they become more superficial due to the “social demand” in order to pursue the “social standard”. In America, if you don’t fit the social standard you might be shunned.

    Americans are viewed as being ill-educated because of the education system in USA, which doesn’t support the needs of the American society. Poor teaching method, lagging minority student (such as: Hispanic students, Black American students, etc.), poor teacher ability, and the amount of the tenure teachers A.K.A short term teachers in American schools. But now, Americans are struggling to fix their education system.

    I know my explanations are out of the topic, but at least I can give the answers of why some of the Germans view Americans like that.

    Comment by Tiffany Cheng — April 26, 2012 @ 10:45 am

  634. Greeks not Europeans? FAIL..even the word “Europe” is greek, anyway, here’s what we Greeks think of each nation:

    Germans: Efficient and smart. We like their country a lot, but most of us now think they hate us and want to kill us all lol

    Italians: Brothers! Many similarities and they are very cool people.

    Spanish, Portuguese: “Crisis Brothers” lol Anyway, we like them a lot, they are like us. I’ve been to Spain and people there respect Greek culture and like us a lot. It’s my favorite country!

    Turks: ENEMIES and Asians, don’t belong to Europe.

    Russians: Vodka, hot girls.

    Serbs: “Orthodox brothers” ! However, i see them just like any other slavic nation because i am an atheist…

    Croats: Beautiful country. Don’t know any Croats though..

    Albanians: Thiefs, immigrants, poor and muslims.

    FYR Macedonia: HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE THEM! OUR NATIONAL ENEMY, THIEFS AND BULGARIANS WHO PRETEND TO BE MACEDONIANS.

    Scandinavians: Rich, drunk all the time and cold.

    French: A bit arrogant but OK. Much more friendly towards Greeks comparing to Germans. And a really really beautiful country. They must be really proud.

    British: Love tea, love coming to Greece and having fun (too much fun, most of the time). Personally, i like them a lot, cool people.

    Bulgarians: Poor. What we don’t want to end up like as a country.

    Poles, Hungarians, Czechs etc: Nice countries….umm..that’s it :D

    Comment by El Greco — April 27, 2012 @ 11:12 am

  635. i think we need a (european) group hug after reading this …… gather round now ……..

    Comment by pottymania — April 28, 2012 @ 10:04 am

  636. P.S. @tats, (regarding Theo’s March 28, 2009 comment quote “[...] Romania: near Transylvania [...]” end quote) posted April 16, 2009, quote “I am American. [...] Transilvania is a town in Romania not next to. Making it seem like Americans are that ignorant is harsh.” : … why ?

    @BogdyBBA , you made me laugh.

    After two days going through this, this is the one I wanted to answer, even after so many years.

    I assumed the first statement was a joke. My fellow Americans, Transylvania is “near” Romania the same way California is “near” the United States. It is PART of Romania. It is not a town. It is a REGION. Like a little kingdom, get it? Ruled over by Count Dracula and his army of Chernobyl mutant vampires, who sparkle in the sunlight!

    Comment by Whygod — April 30, 2012 @ 8:28 am

  637. I have impressions about European countries like this:

    Austria: Home of the Mozart, Opera, and my favorite foods Chicken Schnitzel and Apple Strudel. But my friend told me that Austria is re-known for producing crappy musical Band Groups unfortunately. It’s mountainous area, Salzburg ever became the shooting location of The Sound of Music.

    Belarus: Ex-USSR country, very cold like Russia

    Belgium: Land of Chocolate, Beer, and The Smurfs. My friend said that Belgium has lots of tasty restaurants and places.

    Czech Republic: Beautiful capital Prague, spectacular nightlife.

    Denmark: Scandinavian country, produce nice Lurepark butter, my school shoes ECCO are made here. Famous for its Viking and Carlsberg beer, most of the people in Denmark are extremely happy go lucky from what I heard.

    Finland: Nokia land, that’s what my friend from Germany calls :D , sauna freaks. My Dad said that Finland is extremely cold, also very good education system. Quite famous for its unique but colorful clothes named Marimeko, my mom has one at home. I also think that Finnish people must extremely smart and serious.

    France: Very nice country with nice fashion and culture. French are arrogant, but their arrogant because of their nationalism sense, can a bit distance. Also, the French love good food so much, they always gather at the restaurant enjoying food while debating or discussing. I have some kind of special impression about France ever since I watched Madeline cartoon on the TV when I was young at Australia ( I was born at Australia). I also admire for their health care and quality of life. The women are re-known for being elegant, petite, and stylish. Famous for its perfumes and cosmetics, Eiffel Tower as well. My Dad ever told me that French are also very quality and culture conscious high class people, dad also ever said that city of Paris has the cleanest air among metropolitan cities that he ever visited, which is true when I heard that there’s a hot air balloon that can check the air condition, throughout the Eiffel light during evening . I wished if I could go to France next time.

    Germany: Nice cars, beers, and machinery that’s what I know about Germany. I always have good impression about Germany ever since I learn German at school, despite the fact that Germany had a dictator like Hitler. Hometown of my dear friend, Felix from Dresden of East Germany. My Dad ever told me if German food is too salty, too fatty, and too bland. Although I love German sausages like Bockwurst and Currywurst. Plus, I always heard from many people that Germans are usually “square-headed” just like what my Dad used to joke about Germans. The women are re-known for having big build and looked masculine.

    Greece: Ancient western civilization came from here, lots of statues and monuments. Parthenon is my personal favorite, but I also like Mykonos Island shown from the brochure that my Dad brought for me. Love Greek food, Greek Salad and Feta cheese are my favorites. I have my first funny impression about Greece since I watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding movie.

    Hungary: Goulash and Bratislava, first impression about this country according to my friend. I always think that Hungary is famous for the meatball soup. My Grandpa had friend from Hungary, he told me that his friend was very intelligent and had a good sense of humor.

    Iceland: Small, cold northern country away from mainland Europe famous for its Geyser and Banks. Nearly bankrupt, but has a very strong independence. Bjork always remind me about this precious country, from what I heard the capital of Reykjavik voted as the cleanest city in the world.

    Ireland: Small country near Great Britain, far away at the northwest. Home of the redheads, drunks, Guinness, and green color obsessed people. Had a terrible history back during the Great Potato Famine. But Irish people always perceived as fun-loving, warm, and peaceful people. I also remember this country when I watched Leap Year movie stared by Amy Adams, my favorite movie.

    Italy: Pizza, Spaghetti, and Lasagna are my first impression about Italy. Very beautiful and ancient country, I love Colosseum and Pisa tower. I always wished if I could go to Italy for vacation, to see all the things from Italy. Italians are famous for being loud, witness from my dad when he visited Italy, he said that almost everyone in Italy speaks loudly. But sadly, the government there is very corrupted and infamous for its Mafioso. This country also remind me of Lizzie McGuire film from the Disney channel.

    Luxembourg: Mega rich European country, near Netherlands and Belgium forming Benelux group. Speaks a weird form of German from what I know. Luxembourgian also enjoy their wealth so much until they scared if they lost their money.

    Monaco: Casino, Monte Carlo come up in my mind about this country. Small Monarchy country at Southern of France, paradise of the gamblers, and has beautiful beach. I always remember this country from movie Monte Carlo, starred by Selena Gomez..

    Netherlands: Flat Northern European country below the sea level, always surrounded by the Dams and Windmill. Famous for its tasty cheeses like Gouda and Edam. Liberal people as well as tolerant with everyone, love flowers and weeds so much, they are also very tall, with the addiction of Beers. Wooden shoes all come from this country from what I know, also the national costumes are so admirable. Produces nice butters too, yummy.

    Norway: Rich Scandinavian country, produces oil and natural gas, famous for the salmon fishes. Has the highest human development index in the world, stunning Fjords, as well clean environment. There are lots of blonde haired blue eyed people here. Fond of Fish and seafood.

    Portugal: Mediterranean country, near Spain on Iberian peninsula. Crisis ridden, but has nice vacation spot for European tourist. Famous for its tea as well, very warm welcoming people, and they also love good music and dancing. Nice Port wine also come from here.

    Russia: Emerging economy boom after the fall of communism, famous for the vodka and ultra stunning women, although the people there are overly racist, cold, and rude. Love Moscow, colorful St. Petersburg Cathedral, and tasty food called Borscht soup. Very cold, far at the north, almost like freezing all the time brrrr. Famous supermodels come from here, highly paid for magazines.

    Spain: Matador, Paella, Flamenco, and Sunshine yup that’s Spain. Love the men, so handsome, romantic, and passionate. Sexy women all come from here from what I heard think about Penelope Cruz and Paz Vega . Very loud and welcoming people. But, most of them are very lazy, love to enjoy life, and never think about tomorrow. Fond of nap, look up siesta.

    Sweden: Scandinavian country, famous for IKEA and its stunning blonde girls. Likes meatball, lingonberry jam and caviar paste. My favorite group band ABBA comes from here, also home of Roxette my mother’s favorite group band when she was young. Feminism is quite extreme here, there lots of women who become feminist in this country. Swedish are the master of hockey too, they always excel in hockey. Home of the political correctness and gender equality.

    Switzerland: Rich country border to France at the west, Germany at the north, Austria at the east, and Italy at the south. Famous for its bank, cheeses, watches, and chocolates. People here talk very slow, clean, efficient, and precise. My dad always has a excellent impression about the Swiss (my dad has lots of Swiss co-workers), smart, and somewhat quite perfectionist. Has the most beautiful mountain called the Alps, famous spot for skiing. Nice Chalets are here, especially at Davos from what I heard. Wished to go to Switzerland if I have money.

    UK: Famous for the Queen, The Beatles, Mr.Bean, Big Ben, and London Bridge. Has lots of top universities like Oxford and Cambridge, or others. Conquered so many countries in the 19th century, forming Commonwealth Nations. Fish and Chips, Roast Beef, and English Breakfast become the national food of this country. I also have uncle lives here with my aunt. My Dad always has impression that British people are somewhat stuck-up and old-fashion, but very open and friendly. Too bad, they always like to get drunk way too much and have very bad lifestyle.

    Comment by Tiffany Cheng — May 6, 2012 @ 8:54 pm

  638. We, Poles, are really oversensitive and generally suffering from severe inferiority complex, I must confess:-) Nice article, educating comments on it;-)

    On the other hand – it’s a pity, that we were and still are recognised in Western Europe (Germany, Holland, UK, Scandinavia) mainly through our immigrants. To tell the truth: who generally has left our country and gone abroad? Not the intelectual elite at all;-) Scums, losers, semi-analphabets, fakers, thiefs – not able to cope with themselves here, in Poland, dreaming about a western paradise, going abroad without a penny and taking any job unseen – that is the main sort of our ‘ambassadors’ in the Europe. Of course, not all of them, but I’d say it’s ca. 60 per cent, unfortunately. With such an immigration, it’s really hard to have a better image in Europe:-) Unfair and generalizing, but true:-) The same refers probably to the Romanians, Bulgarians, Hungarians and other similar post-communist nations, who must be often ashamed to hear or read bitter words about them, based on some immigration-affairs.
    Reassuming to all: to get to know a country – just go to it, do not judge us by our immigrants:-)

    Comment by Slavek — May 7, 2012 @ 1:31 pm

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