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The end of Europe's 'Obamania'? Obama's foreign policy speech in Berlin could risk adulation

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US presidential candidate Barack Obama will speak in Berlin on Thursday. Germans have fallen in love with the man many in Europe have come to see as the anti-Bush -- the man who many hope will steer America back toward the path of peace, love and happiness. Almost three-quarters of Germans would vote for Obama were they given the opportunity to do so; in France, that number approaches 90 percent. Berlin authorities are expecting tens of thousands -- maybe even hundreds of thousands -- for his appearance later this week.

But German commentators doubt the love affair will survive this week's foreign policy speech. The financial daily Handelsblatt looks at what Berlin might expect from Obama's speech. "With the speech at the Siegessäule on Thursday, a new phase is beginning. And there are a number of signs pointing to the fact that those pleasantly anticipating an Obama presidency might not be quite as euphoric should he get elected. The reasons are clear: Obama's superstar status in Germany is based primarily on two factors. One is the fact that he is not George W. Bush…. The second is that Obama has remained quite vague until now: Everyone can see in him what he or she wants. But now the senator from Illinois is beginning to mold a concrete foreign policy."

"Soon, it will be clear what "change" really means. Obama wants to withdraw from Iraq but at the same time he wants to bolster troops in Afghanistan. That increase shouldn't just come from the Americans, but from the Europeans as well."

The paper writes that his speech in Berlin isn't just meant for the American voters. His choosing the German capital for the speech "sends a clear message, even if the charismatic politician has opted for a subtle delivery: 'Dear Europeans, dear Germans, should I be elected, I am going to take you at your word. More international cooperation means more European engagement in crisis regions.' Obama, should he become the superpower's next president, will not suddenly transform into a dove. He too will use the US military to reach his political goals."

(Excerpts / Charles Hawley, Spiegel International)
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2 responses // The end of Europe's 'Obamania'? Obama's foreign policy speech in Berlin could risk adulation

  • I think it'll be interesting to see what happens after his speech, and I think it's only now that some are beginning to realise the global importance of who the next US president is.
    mattbrawn
  • Yeah but not as important as Batman, right?
    dearmat23

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