Do Europeans hate the Brits?

[Floofydawg]

We're in Spain at the minute and have encountered some pretty hostile behaviour. Not so much from the Spanish, as we speak the language, but from other Europeans. We've been coming here many years and I've never before encountered such hostility. It got me thinking, do many Europeans dislike the Brits?

It’s called intergenerational trauma. A well studied and recognised phenomenon which is particularly prevalent in the Irish post famine and partition.

I want to say that overall I found the people in Crete to be lovely. It was just that occasion where that person was not nice.

Yes, it is. If you're from NI you can be Irish, British or both.

I think the British often stand out. It’s a generalisation of course but Europeans, particularly middle aged and up dress differently and generally expose less flesh, not do they get sunburned.

When visiting Madrid I was struck by the beautifully dressed older people in particular. Very stylish old ladies.

I think like many, you’re confusing two things. The EU and the continent of Europe are different things. Brits are Europeans. Britain remains part of Europe despite its rejection of the political systems that some, but not all, European countries subscribe to.

Who's got "issues"??

That sounds about right 😂 I remember English people being amazed at us speaking Welsh to each other and saying how nice it was to hear, would have been lovely but we were speaking English to each other and it was just our accent!

I've been to Poland many times, and know a lot of people there. They never talk about World war two or the Germans. Which was last century

The famine (which was two centuries ago) while bad of course, wasn't the only atrocity in history.

Every single country has gone through suffering.

I really don’t care anymore. We travel in France and Spain and get a mixture of service and attitudes. Water off a ducks back.

Could it be envy because we have escaped the European Dictatorship? Bloody Brits! And then they realise you are Irish who are now paying mega bucks to keep it afloat and think 'oh it's a contributor.'

I'm really not. It's why I put 'Europeans' in inverted commas.

So, the conclusion of that anecdote (in the places I went on that one trip) is that they weren’t as unfriendly to what they thought were English people as they were to what they thought were Germans.

There used to be three prices in Crete: local price, tourist price, and German price. I think time has healed old wounds.

OP as I think of it, you just have to not care.

If they're rude to you in a restaurant or wherever, just ignore them.

You've one life. You're entitled to travel , live your life and see the world.

'That kind of Brit needs taking round the back and doing in'

Doing in?

That kind of person should not have being allowed to board if inebriated. We need to address the pissed people on planes problem I agree. Not by doing anyone in I hasten to add.

Why? I can be Irish or British, whichever I want.

What would make me less Irish coming from NI?

We tend not to say northern Irish because it confuses people. It even confuses some of the rest of the British too!

I think the CherryValley5 is saying that is not the Brits Europeans dislike but specifically the English! Is the poster English?

Me too, Cherry. Pearlgemspark is having a bit of a comprehension struggle with this.

In my case I hang off my husband's Irish coat-tails. It goes down a treat in places like Corsica where they also have a fiercely independant island we-don't-belong-to-France-and-we're-nothing-like-them mentality. In fact many Corsicans feel they are still living under French colonisation.

People are looking to connect and identify. They also look out for perceived slights, historical or recent. In the case of UK there's the problem of our leaving the EU - it feels to many Europeans that despite having our own special deal we still decided to play away.

If you can claim Irish, Scottish or Welsh roots they let you off, I confirm! That may also be to do with the breakdown of the Brexit votes, as many people realise that Scotland, Wales - and possibly NI - voted heavily to remain.

Ireland and Northern Ireland aren't the same, but the Irish from NI are as Irish as the Irish from Ireland. By definition - they're citizens.

Much as I like to annoy my Norn husband by telling him he's not really Irish.

Yeah, shame.
I'm Czech by origin and the attitude is different, too.
😐

Don't be silly.

Nationality top trumps then. How progressive!

It's their literal experience, so how is it 'nasty'?

Yes I think every Irish person who's travelled at all will have experienced this. Waiters instantly becoming warmer and friendlier and the likes.

Not saying it's right, but it definitely happens. Always has as well, it's not a Brexit thing although that can't have helped.

I can't imagine the average Spaniard or Italian knows much about NI or the famine, I'm guessing it's more to do with perceptions and generalisations relating to football hooliganism and "Brits abroad" type behaviour.

I don't have a comprehension struggle with this.

I agreed that Irish people are not hated anywhere as they are a non threatening small country and have not invaded anywhere in the past.

I pointed out that in the scenario where one country is hated more than another, it might be good to stand up for the hated country.

But you guys don't do that