On world stage, France's role is audience favorite | csmonitor.com: "In the survey of people in 23 countries across the globe, a majority or plurality in 20 described France as exerting a positive influence on world affairs. The US, by comparison, is seen as having a negative impact by majorities in 15 countries.
'France is seen as a countervoice to the US,' says Steven Kull, director of PIPA. 'It becomes a rallying point for all those who don't want to follow America's lead.'
Certainly, Paris appeals in part precisely because it is not Washington. But it goes beyond that. From the streets of Shanghai to Berlin, Monitor interviews found that the French flair for the finer things in life has a special cachet.
French movies are admired worldwide for their subtlety and depth; French fashion houses dress the rich and powerful worldwide; and the lure of French art and cuisine fascinated foreigners long before Paris stood up to Washington politically"

France is so admired because "many people think France is a country that tries to correct the imbalances of today's world, such as the excessive power of the United States