France vs Germany popularity contest

[pap]

During the recent turmoil with the European Union, our attitudes about our closest neighbours have come front and centre.

 

The Telegraph has a blog online, The British are not anti-German: they're just ignorant of German culture. Amongst its claims, it cites:-

 

 

the English are far more positive about the Germans than they are about the French. A majority of Britons – 61 per cent – view Germany as a friendly country, compared to just 40 per cent who see France in the same way

 

 

 

This YouGov poll is where they pulled the data. Which country does SaintsWeb prefer?

 

My starter for ten:

 

Ze Germans

[badgerx16]

Well, we have a ( mostly ) German Royal Family, so I suppose that makes them relatives, whereas the Frogs are just garlic munching surrender monkeys. Plus we've fought more wars with the Germans against the French than vice versa.

[Saint_Pedro]

I work with colleagues in both countries. The German colleagues tend to be more arrogant and sure of themselves than the French, but the French are more hospitable taking you out for dinner. The food is france is way better.

[The Cat]

The Germans have made better music so I'll go for them, although Serge Gainsbourg was pretty cool in his day and was fascinated with anal sex.

[pap]

The Germans have made better music so I'll go for them, although Serge Gainsbourg was pretty cool in his day and was fascinated with anal sex.

 

You should send that to the French tourist board. They can put it on posters

[RonManager]

I get on well with both on a personal level.

 

But you need to keep your eye on Jonny German or you know what'll happen!

 

Things to be on the lookout for are:-

 

1. Rallies.

2. Random annexations.

3. The number of BMWs in Poland.

[Foxstone]

I love both. Many great cities, both have some great food and culture.

 

Germany wins though because I love their beer and sausages, and prefer their football league.

 

This in a nutshell!

[Whitey Grandad]

I like both, even though they are so very different.

Vive la différence!

Es lebe der Unterschied!

Edited 9 December, 2011 by Whitey Grandad
Silly french accent

[Special K]

The Germans have made better music so I'll go for them, although Serge Gainsbourg was pretty cool in his day and was fascinated with anal sex.

 

And the Germans aren't??? ahem, allegedly, so i'm told.

[doddisalegend]

Could we not pick someone else? Personally I've only visited three European (well technically four as Germanay was split in two at the time though I visited both halves) countries didn't like Fance much, Germany was better (but the food sucked), I much prefered the Netherlands myself can we not ignore the French and Germans and hang out with the Dutch who are really nice people in my experince.

[Wilko]

Prefer Germans because most of the ones I've met had a sense of humour approaching ours and enjoy a good session on the beer. Would rather live in France because it has great wine and food. Score draw.

[hypochondriac]

The Germans are a nicer race of people in general. Something about the French I find rude and irritating.

[Brussels Saint]

Excellent thread.

I would rather hang out with Germans who generally (contrary to popular perception) have an excellent sense of humour

The food in France is better and their focus on quality of life and 6 week summer holidays is to be applauded

Both nations are blessed with girls who are filthy in the sack (bit like the Welsh)

 

Germany wins it by smidge (penalty shoot out!)

[Petersfield Saint]

Prefer Germans because most of the ones I've met had a sense of humour approaching ours and enjoy a good session on the beer. Would rather live in France because it has great wine and food. Score draw.

 

This is my experience and I'm married to one so I should know! My experience is mainly of Berliners and former East Germans and they're all a good laugh, don't mind a bit of p***taking and give as good as they get.

 

That said, I've met some top French people as well as some rude and arrogant ones - best just to take as you find...

[saintbletch]

Excellent thread.

I would rather hang out with Germans who generally (contrary to popular perception) have an excellent sense of humour

The food in France is better and their focus on quality of life and 6 week summer holidays is to be applauded

Both nations are blessed with girls who are filthy in the sack (bit like the Welsh)

 

Germany wins it by smidge (penalty shoot out!)

 

I'd go along with much of this generalisation too.

 

I feel more at home in France as I have a little of the language. Also I've got friends that have a farm in lower Normandy and we stay with them for a week each year. Fantastic quality of life. Recently did some business in Lyon and had a great time there. First visit to Lyon and I must say I was very impressed. Used to regularly go to Cannes/Nice once a year on business. The climate, food and culture there is very close to ideal. Although I'd have to say that I've also been made to feel pretty unwelcome in some parts of France.

 

Germany and the German people are more of a slow burn. Never outright hostile but can appear cold to us more gregarious Brits. Get to know them though and you make friends for life. I had a boss who lived in Cologne so spent a lot of time there and really enjoyed the culture and the humour too. In a massive generalisation I found the Southern Germans more difficult to gauge at first but great people once you've built some mutual respect. You simply have to do an Oktoberfest once before you die.

 

Gemany wins for me too JUST (Elfmeter shoot out!).

[Lighthouse]

I don't really think you can generalise either country as being rude or friendly. I've worked with some top blokes from France and Germany, as well as some complete R-souls. Generally though I think I prefer the German ethic towards life and in particular work. None of the bullsh*t striking for the sake of it and brining the country to a standstill every summer. They seem to just get on with it was a good degree of efficiency. If only some of the Southern European countries had a similar attitude to work, we might not be in such a big ecconomic mess.

[Saintandy666]

Been to both and know people of both nationalities. All very friendly and welcoming and really not too dissimilar to us. Love both countries.

[View From The Top]

As a people the Germans, as a country, France.

 

Women of both are delightfully liberal.

[norwaysaint]

As a people the Germans, as a country, France.

 

 

This is what I was going to post, the German attitude generally matches the British better, but the country itself can be pretty dull, I drove through all of it in the summer. France wins by having a nice south coast. The French lose by being unfathomable to most British people.

[Swansea_Saint]

France vs Germany! Which one is better?? Theres only one way to find out,

 

FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eurosaint]

I have worked with and have a number of good friends from both France and Germany and find it difficult to generalise !

I consider that you meet 'the good, the bad and the ugly' from all nations and it is more the person than the nationality that counts !

Politically however, I do not trust the French (Sarkosy today is a good example!) as they tend to say one thing and then proceed to do whatever suits them and them alone !

[ecuk268]

This is what I was going to post, the German attitude generally matches the British better, but the country itself can be pretty dull, I drove through all of it in the summer. France wins by having a nice south coast. The French lose by being unfathomable to most British people.

 

I've always found the French to be OK (apart from Parisians). I like their slightly anarchic, pragmatic approach to life and, if you make a bit of effort to speak the language, they usually very helpful.

 

One thing that I have noticed is the level of service. Shop assistants always greet you with "bonjour" and say "au revoir" when you leave. You can usually have a taste before you buy cheese or fruit, the quality is usually very high.

[norwaysaint]

I've always found the French to be OK (apart from Parisians). I like their slightly anarchic, pragmatic approach to life and, if you make a bit of effort to speak the language, they usually very helpful.

 

One thing that I have noticed is the level of service. Shop assistants always greet you with "bonjour" and say "au revoir" when you leave. You can usually have a taste before you buy cheese or fruit, the quality is usually very high.

 

Well, of course all opinions on this thread are ******** aren't they? Otherwise we'd have to agree that all British people are basically the same, me, you, Robbie Savage, Dale Winton, Pete Docherty, Thatcher, Blair, Dune, Katie Price and Rupert Lowe, all basically the same.

[aintforever]

I like the German's sausages, beer and football, not keen on their industrialised mass murder of jews tho. The French do good food but can be *****s.

[Minsk]

I have good friends of both nationalities.

 

However, I much prefer Berlin to Paris and if the national teams of each were playing against each other I would be cheering for the Germans.

 

So I guess Germany gets my vote.

[Jonnyboy]

There's as*holes in every country.

 

(and Gainsbourg thought that too)

[pap]

I've been to France and worked with Germans.

 

The French eat some weird stuff. They seem to lack any kind of squeamish gene. I'm not just riffing on the traditional snail and frog cocktail - I remember walking through a French supermarket and seeing shrink-wrapped rabbits in the freezer looking something akin to Hellraiser. That said, most French people I met were very cool, even if they all did p*ss themselves laughing when my dad introduced me all to them as 'ma fille' (my daughter)

 

I have a German neighbour, and know a few Germans through work. Nothing but positive impressions, really. I've got a lot of admiration for the way they picked themselves up from the war, a lot of respect for the political will to reunite East and West (despite the resistance from a section the general public) and a lot of respect for their industry. Like ourselves, Germany bore lasting scars as a result of the Second World War, but they faced greater challenges (half of our country didn't end up belonging to the Communist bloc, for example). In the time following VE day, not only have they have faced and overcome partition, but they have also emerged as the EU's strongest economy. The country has a reputation for quality engineering, decent work ethic coupled with a similar drinking culture to our own. From a British perspective, it's hard not to find common ground with our Teutonic cousins.

 

Of course, the really interesting thing about this debate is that, in truth, both countries have had immense influence on Britain, and we share characteristics with both the French and the Germans, which the comments on this thread would seem to support.

[Jonnyboy]

Something about the French I find rude and irritating.

 

Im sure the feelings mutual.

[aintforever]

Germany deserves votes just because they still have to put up with people blaming them for the holocaust. It's odd to blame a country. It was a certain group of people of that nationality, long ago, not a country. I wouldn't want to be described by something some British people did long ago, and let's face it, we've acted like dicks around the globe 'ourselves' in the past.

 

I don't hate generalising because it's unfair on the Germans, French or whoever, I just think if we do it, then likewise they can generalise us as uncultured, ignorant, chavvy x factor watching, fame hungry jordan worshipping vacuous scum. And I don't want that, or believe it's true.

 

Every nation has it's nobbers. Thankfully, every nation has loads of great people too. Luckily in my life I tend to meet more of the latter.

 

I'm not generalising anyone but it was Germany, as a nation that committed the holocaust. The whole World was at war, only the Germans chose to commit industrialised genocide - there is no point denying that fact.

[buctootim]

it was Germany, as a nation that committed the holocaust. The whole World was at war, only the Germans chose to commit industrialised genocide - there is no point denying that fact.

 

Yes but which jokes do you find funnier and which is better German lager or French wine?

[scotty]

I've always found the French to be OK (apart from Parisians). I like their slightly anarchic, pragmatic approach to life and, if you make a bit of effort to speak the language, they usually very helpful.

 

One thing that I have noticed is the level of service. Shop assistants always greet you with "bonjour" and say "au revoir" when you leave. You can usually have a taste before you buy cheese or fruit, the quality is usually very high.

 

I've usually found that as well, but my last visit to Cherbourg put me off somewhat. Ran into some utter c*nts, so much so that I havent been back since. Never been to Germany, so cant really compare.