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?

Yeah they don't like us and as others have said especially English. Who can blame them tbh. Not on an individual level though, never really had any issues. Some Dutch made a point of saying I had a longer queue because of Brexit - oh well...

I remember starting a thread years ago about the World Cup and wow, some of the comments. If it had been any other nationality being slated with the stereotypes being thrown around it would have been taken down but seemingly the English are the only nationality left where racism is socially acceptable.

Oh that's right, is it? I don't stand up for the hated country? Me and how many other posters on here?

You guys 🙄

Britain is England, Wales & Scotland. The UK is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The British Isles encompasses Ireland.

I believe citizens of Ireland and Northern Ireland have Irish passports, although NI has historical provisions for British citizenship?

It's crazy isn't it so many almost proud to state they've experienced xenophobia directed at others. You'd think people would be disgusted but nope, it's seemingly ok if one nationality is being unfairly demonised as long as it's not your own!

Why exactly should I? Please enlighten me!

Never had any hostility. But then I'm polire and don't cause bother

Perhaps its because those countries are not particularly fond of England either.

Why would we? What's it going to achieve other than bring hostility on ourselves?

It's not that England is a "hated country" either and it's quite subtle. They just become more open and friendly on finding out you're not English although you speak it. It's not done in a way where you could say, "how dare you diss the English?!" because they're not.

Well if someone said to me "Thank god you're not english"

I wouldn't say "yes it's great that I'm not English isn't it!".

I would challenge the person on their xenophobic behaviour.

Polish women are rude to everyone 😂

I'm in Germany. When people realise I'm from Scotland, I get a very different reaction from my English friends here. It's usually the English people aren't a fan of here.

Why would it bring hostility on you to stand up for people from other countries.

If anyone has ever insulted another nationality to me, Ive stood up for them.

. For example people have insulted Polish people, and Indian people to me.

I've always stood up for them when it happened

It didn't bring hostility on myself.

NI has both British & Irish passport eligibility, you can choose to have either or both. From experience it is far easier to get a British one, the big surge in Irish applications (especially in people who certainly wouldn’t identify as Irish!) only happened due to Brexit.

s many people realise that Scotland, Wales - and possibly NI - voted heavily to remain.

Wales narrowly voted to leave.

NI voted to remain, but not 'heavily'. 1 in 3 Scots voted 'leave'.

Not that I think your average person working in tourism in Portugal or Greece gives a toss about any of this.

I felt very welcomed on our recent trip to the Netherlands (we didn't travel to Amsterdam though, which I could understand might see worse behaviour Brit's wise). Everyone was very friendly towards us and we try hard to be good tourists/ use local guesthouses/ teach the kids to keep the noise down and tidy the room on check out etc. I imagine Spain gets the worst of our travellers, I can't really blame them for having bad experiences and bad impressions of us generally if they do.

Iv been to Germany many times, (family there), and have always recieved a warm welcome when iv said I'm English, with many expressing admiration for English culture and how close our countries are. I guess everybody's experience is different.

Nobody says that.

English?
Scotland.
Ah! Scotland! Edinburgh! Lochs! Lovely! Are you here for holiday? Do you like it?

Theres a difference between a subtle warm-up and "xenophobia", so where during that conversation would you like some of the other countries to leap to Englands defence?

No.

Are you British?

The UK is GB and NI. There is no such word as "UKish", the term is British. So although "Britain" doesn't include NI, "British" does.

Citizens of Ireland have Irish passports, obviously, being Irish citizens (and typically just Irish citizens). People born in NI have rights to both citizenships and can choose to identify as British, Irish or both.

The British isles isn't a term favoured in Ireland and isn't used by our government (although I have to say it's not something I can get worked up about personally).

I was in Amsterdam recently and was told that they’re actively discouraging British stag parties from travelling there. I think a lot of Brits also dislike that type of inconsiderate, drunken behaviour displayed by some of us when we’re on holiday. I’ve lived outside of the UK for years now and I’ve never had any negative reactions to my nationality. Often I’m asked about Brexit but I’d say it comes from a place of morbid curiousity than dislike.

Years ago in Greece we went to a restaurant and were totally ignored while the staff talked amongst themselves. Then just as we were going to leave they came over having heard us speaking in English and saying "We're so sorry, we thought you were German". So depending where you are people don't like Germans (or at least didn't then).
I live in Europe and where I am I haven't encountered any hostility but I do think it depends where you go. The Germans, Austrians, Dutch seem to like Brits, French hate us (the English at least), Spanish and Portuguese depends where you go.

Yes it's absolutely not a Brexit thing. I've been experiencing it since the 1970s

If only we could all get along.

You seem to be assuming that it's a shift from full on xenophobic rant to lovey dovey. It's not. It's a change from polite but formal and distant to enthusiastic, friendly and engaged. If I started ranting on about how appalling they were because they treated me perfectly politely when they thought I was English, I would come across as slightly unhinged.

Nobody says that though. You’re making xenophobic anti-English insults up in your head, which is a bit silly really…