{"id":33207,"date":"2009-01-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-01-22T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2009\/01\/22\/international-coverage-of-the-inauguration\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T01:12:29","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T06:12:29","slug":"international-coverage-of-the-inauguration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/global\/2009\/01\/22\/international-coverage-of-the-inauguration\/","title":{"rendered":"As Obama Takes Office, Global Press Turns to Regional Concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Richard Wike, Associate Director, Pew Global Attitudes Project, and Michael Remez, Senior Writer, Pew Research Center for the People & the Press<\/p>\n\n

The celebratory tone that characterized international media coverage of Barack Obama\u2019s historic election victory was again pervasive in many of the stories about his inauguration as the 44th American president. \u201cHistory was being made up there on the hill,\u201d raved Britain\u2019s Daily Mail<\/em>, \u201cand the atmosphere was so electrifying that it took your breath away.\u201d \u201cThe United States has got its groove back,\u201d according to Germany\u2019s Der Spiegel<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

However, many newspapers noted the more somber tone of Obama\u2019s speech, and were themselves relatively somber about the enormous challenges and inflated expectations facing the new president. \u201cLike his new Administration,\u201d wrote the Times of London<\/em>, \u201chis inaugural address faced soaring expectations. It did not quite soar to meet them.\u201d The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung<\/em> called the speech \u201csober,\u201d and suggested it was \u201ccertainly aimed at dampening the messianic hopes that have been raised by his inauguration.\u201d[1. Translation from the original German by SpiegelOnline.]<\/p>\n\n

An editorial in El Pa\u00eds<\/em>, one of Spain\u2019s largest newspapers, cautioned that Obama\u2019s agenda is at the mercy of many \u201cimponderables,\u201d as well as the will of Congress; and it warned that Obama will have to devote the bulk of his energy to grappling with the crises facing the United States before dealing with \u201cjust causes\u201d around the world.<\/p>\n\n

Beyond warnings about tempering hope with realism, however, international newspapers were focused on regional concerns. As the Obama presidency becomes a reality, newspapers around the world are wondering how the new president will deal with the issues that their readers care about.<\/p>\n\n

Gaza a Prism for Middle East Media<\/h3>\n\n

In the Middle East, hopes and fears about the new administration are shaped by the conflict in Gaza, where a tenuous cease fire remains in place. The Israeli daily Ha\u2019aretz<\/em> sees Obama\u2019s emphasis on diplomacy as a model for an Israel \u201cdrunk on power\u201d in the aftermath of the Gaza campaign, arguing that as they prepare for their own national elections in a few weeks, Israelis \u201cshould internalize Obama\u2019s calls for restraint as an attribute of security, as well as his approach that favors dialogue and seeking paths toward understanding with yesterday\u2019s enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Others in Israel, however, worry about the new president\u2019s Middle East policy. The Jerusalem Post said that many \u201care apprehensive over whether he will be not just supportive, but emphatic toward Israel — like George W. Bush.\u201d Still, the paper noted that \u201cIsrael had plenty of ups and downs with Bush, too,\u201d and advises Israelis not to \u201cpanic at the first sign of turbulence in Jerusalem-Washington relations.\u201d Obama, the editorial continued, \u201cwill support the Jewish state in its quest for defensible borders and genuine acceptance by its neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The Gaza story has dominated Arab media for weeks, and some Arab commentators have suggested that Obama\u2019s silence on the issue may indicate he plans few changes to American policy in the region. The Middle East Times complained \u201cObama may have seriously undermined the bold new initiatives he plans for the Middle East,\u201d by entrusting his foreign policy \u201cto an exceptionally old-fashioned national security team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Others are more hopeful that Obama will reverse what they perceive as longstanding American bias in the region. \u201cWhat the new U.S. president has to do to correct past failures and bring about peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors,\u201d wrote the Jordan Times<\/em>, \u201cis to signal, as early as possible, his determination to be even handed and bold in pursuing a policy of proactive engagement in the Palestinian problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The English-language Arab News<\/em> is relatively positive, arguing that Obama \u201cstarts his presidency with one towering advantage that no previous president who has involved himself with the Middle East ever enjoyed. He starts with a clean slate and has the good will of everyone involved.\u201d Moreover, the paper noted the limits of Obama\u2019s power and suggested that the rest of the world cannot expect \u201cthe Oval Office to come up with all the solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Europeans Still Hopeful<\/h3>\n\n

Since the early days of the presidential race, Obama has been very popular in Europe. A Pew Global Attitudes Project survey conducted last spring[2. “Obamamania Abroad: The Candidate Can Expect a Warm Welcome in Europe, Not So in the Middle East<\/a>,” Pew Global Attitudes Project, July 16, 2008. ] found that Obama\u2019s popularity was widespread, and his approval ratings were consistently higher than those of his Republican rival, John McCain. The European press has also mostly embraced Obama — \u201cGOBAMA!\u201d proclaimed Britain\u2019s Daily Mail<\/em> the day after the election.<\/p>\n\n

This positive tone has also characterized more recent European coverage of the new president. In particular, the European press is hopeful that Obama will wield American power very differently from his predecessor. Last week, in France\u2019 Le Figaro<\/em>, Pierre Rousselin lauded Obama\u2019s selection of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, highlighting her emphasis on \u201ctwo simple and percussive words \u2018smart power.\u201d \u201cIn entrusting Clinton with the Department of State,\u201d writes Rousselin, \u201cObama is marking a genuine break with the outgoing administration. Diplomacy will no longer be one tool among many. It will be, on the contrary, at the heart of action of the new presidency.\u201d[3. Translation from the original French by WorldMeets.US.]<\/p>\n\n

Le Monde<\/em> also aimed a final shot at the outgoing president, suggesting that an Obama presidency will be \u201ca thousand miles from the narrow patriotism and ignorance of the team before.\u201d But Germany\u2019s center-left S\u00fcddeutsche Zeitung<\/em> said America\u2019s problems ran deeper than just the Bush administration, arguing that \u201cAmerica\u2019s weaknesses were not only George W. Bush\u2019s and his clique, but rather the intellectual position that spread throughout the country: an imperialist megalomania, a power trip, that didn\u2019t leave room for friends.\u201d This \u201cpower trip\u201d harmed America\u2019s image, but Obama\u2019s victory signaled a sea change, and \u201cpeople across the world are looking benevolently at America, at this positive and dynamic society that allows so much freedom.\u201d[4. Translation from the original German by SpiegelOnline.]<\/p>\n\n

However, even the European press sees potential problems ahead. For instance, while Obama has called for more troops and more NATO burden sharing in Afghanistan, Der Spiegel<\/em> noted that German Chancellor Angela Merkel says her country will \u201cremain steadfast in its refusal to deploy its troops in Afghanistan in the more dangerous south.\u201d And while Obama\u2019s decision to suspend tribunals in Guantanamo will no doubt generate favorable reactions across Europe, he may not find widespread European cooperation on the sticky issue of resettling the prison\u2019s detainees. \u201cGermany\u2019s hard-nosed interior minister, Wolfgang Sch\u00e4uble, has insisted that the prisoners are America\u2019s problem,\u201d according to Der Spiegel.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Bi-lateral Concerns<\/h3>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Much of the international coverage highlighted bi-lateral relations between the United States and other countries. In an opinion piece in the China Daily<\/em>, Yuan Peng, a Chinese analyst, warned that the two countries \u201cface an urgent challenge of finding out how to defuse the potential crises in bilateral relations and put them onto a track of normal and smooth development.\u201d Peng wrote that Obama will expect China to play a constructive role in international crises — such as the war against terror and \u201chow to handle the issues on the Korean peninsula and in Iran.\u201d The piece called for greater joint efforts to prevent problems that could \u201chijack\u201d bilateral ties, but still warned — referring to trouble spots such as Tibet and Taiwan — that the U.S. \u201cshould avoid intervention in China\u2019s internal affairs.\u201d International economic woes will require that leaders of both nations focus on domestic issues, a fact that the writer said \u201cwill unavoidably hinder elasticity and flexibility in their foreign policies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

In The Moscow Times<\/em>, Fyodor Lukyanov wrote of the importance of improving relations between the U.S. and Russia, noting that \u201cbilateral relations could hardly get any worse.\u201d He noted that \u201cthere is an extremely high level of mistrust between the two countries,\u201d and warned that friction is likely to continue over the status of the former Soviet republics. Still, Lukyanov said Obama will likely need Russia\u2019s help in dealing with Iran and Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n

The Asahi Shimbun<\/em> newspaper in Japan wrote after the inauguration about the difficulties that Prime Minister Taro Aso will face in forging close ties with the new president. \u201cHammered by the economic downturn and plummeting support rates at home, Aso\u2019s hands appear tied on the diplomatic front.\u201d The newspaper said Japan is not in an economic position to provide much help for the global economic crisis, adding that the prime minister also has little leeway to boost spending to help stabilize Afghanistan, an Obama priority in the fight against terror. Japanese officials, the newspaper said, are eager for the leaders to meet this spring.<\/p>\n\n

In Korea, the Joong Ang Daily<\/em> congratulated Obama but noted the great problems — both domestic and foreign — that his administration will confront. And it highlighted the top priorities for South Korea. \u201cFor Koreans, the North Korea nuclear issue and the pending Korea-U.S. free trade agreement are of the utmost interest,\u201d the article said. \u201cThe U.S. should try to balance resolving the North\u2019s nuclear issue through close cooperation with South Korea while at the same time adopting a tough diplomatic stance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

The newspaper acknowledged Obama faces tough choices on Korea policy, including whether to push forward with a pending trade deal that faced some strong opposition in Congress even before the economic crisis worsened. \u201cThe Obama administration needs to decide whether delaying approval of the bilateral trade deal with Korea and pursuing protectionism will serve U.S. national interests and the spirit of the Korea-U.S. alliance,\u201d the editorial said.<\/p>\n\n

U.S. neighbors also see the start of the new administration through the prism of long-standing concerns. In The Toronto Star<\/em>, James Travers wrote in his column about the common economic concerns of both countries and the need for Canada\u2019s prime minister, Stephen Harper, to make the case to Obama that North America is most competitive \u201cwhen it is most cohesive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

[E]<\/p>\n\n\n

An editorial in El Universal<\/em>, the Mexico City newspaper, also spoke optimistically about the change in administrations in Washington, but warned that Mexico and the U.S. still face difficult issues in dealing with immigration, free trade and security. Obama\u2019s speech offered reason to celebrate, the newspaper said, but only time will tell whether the changes are as big as promised.<\/p>\n\n

Meanwhile, Kenya\u2019s the Daily Nation<\/em> newspaper highlighted Obama\u2019s paternal roots in that country and called for a change in tone in U.S foreign policy. \u201cPresident Obama must move decisively to restore faith, trust and respect as a cornerstone of U.S foreign policy,\u2019\u2019 the paper wrote. \u201cIf the U.S. treats the rest of the world as friends and partners, it might find that the hate it attracts will dissipate, and so will some of the attitudes that make the country a prime target for international terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

In the End, it\u2019s the Economy<\/h3>\n\n

Despite much upbeat coverage of inauguration day and the start of Obama\u2019s presidency, many writers highlighted the great obstacles Obama will face. For example, Les Carlyon, an Australian journalist and historian, wrote in the Daily Telegraph<\/em> in Sydney, that though Obama is seen as the beacon of hope and healing, he has inherited the worst financial mess in generations.<\/p>\n\n

[F]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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