Poles’ attitudes towards Russians, Belarusians, Hungarians and Germans have significantly worsened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, new data show. Meanwhile, their sentiment towards Americans, Ukrainians and the English has risen.
Since 1993, state research agency CBOS has regularly polled the Polish public on their attitude towards various national and ethnic groups, asking whether they like or dislike them.
Its latest survey, conducted earlier this month, found that the most popular group were Americans, who were liked by 68% of Poles. That was 10 percentage points higher than last time the poll was conducted in January 2022, a month before Russia’s invasion.
The Italians were second, on 61% (up 3pp), followed by the English, on 60% (up 9pp), Czechs, on 54% (up 2pp), and Slovakians, on 54% (down 1pp). Sixth place was taken by Ukrainians, whose 51% was 10 percentage points higher than in 2022. That was, alongside Americans, the joint-largest rise.
Since last February, millions of Ukrainian refugees have crossed into Poland, and over one million remain there. Poland has also been one of Kyiv’s closest allies during the war, providing humanitarian, military and diplomatic support.
At the other end of the scale, CBOS found that Russians were the least liked group, on 6% (down 23pp), followed by Arabs, on 15% (down 6pp), Roma/Gypsies, on 16% (down 10pp), and Belarusians, on 19% (down 16pp).
Apart from Russians, the largest decline in positive sentiment was recorded towards Hungarians, who fell 21 percentage points from 57% to 36%. Poland and Hungary have enjoyed good relations in recent years, but those have been damaged by Budapest’s tepid support for Ukraine and continued ties with Russia.
CBOS also found that the most disliked group were Russians, with 82% of Poles saying they had negative feelings towards them, up 44 percentage points since January 2022.
They were followed by Arabs, on 59% (up 13pp), Belarusians, on 51% (up 22pp), Roma/Gypsies, on 50% (up 13pp), and Germans, on 40% (up 16 pp.) Germany has faced criticism in Poland over its response to the war in Ukraine, in particular from the Polish ruling party.
Apart from Russians, the largest increase in negative sentiment was again recorded towards Hungarians, who rose 18 percentage points from 9% to 27%.
An international study by the Pew Research Center last year found that Poles held the most negative views of Russia among all countries surveyed. Only 2% of Poles expressed a favourable view of Russia while 97% had an unfavourable opinion.
Main image credit: Slawomir Kaminski / Agencja Wyborcza.pl
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
