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LONDON – It was a sigh heard around the world
With almost palpable relief, longtime U.S. allies greeted Joe Biden as he was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on Wednesday. Some have expressed hope for radical change in the White House, especially in its approach to climate change and the coronavirus pandemic. And a few took starting photos of Donald Trump and his nationalist “America First” agenda.
The main European Union politician, Ursula von der Leyen, said that “after four long years, Europe has a friend in the White House”.
“This ceremony consecrated on the steps of the US Capitol will be a demonstration of the resilience of American democracy,” she added in a speech in Brussels.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, meanwhile, said Biden represented “the victory of democracy over the far right”.
Then he aimed directly at the former president.
“Five years ago we thought Trump was a bad joke, but five years later we realized he was endangering nothing less than the most powerful democracy in the world,” he said. declared in a speech.
References to tensions between Europe and the United States under Trump, who accused the European Union of trying to take advantage of America and said European allies “have never treated us well”, have been a striking change from past congratulatory messages.
But they reflected the alarm many people on the continent felt when Trump broke long-standing norms and made common cause with the far right – an alarm that turned into horror when the insurgent mob cheered on by Trump passed the Capitol on January 6.
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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier echoed these concerns, saying he was “greatly relieved” and suggesting that many of his compatriots felt the same.
“For all the joy we feel today, we must not forget that even the most powerful democracy in the world has been seduced by populism,” he said as Biden prepared to be sworn in. “We must work resolutely to counter polarization, protect and strengthen the public arena in our democracies, and shape our policies on the basis of reason and fact.”
Biden’s victory represented “the victory of democracy over the far right and its three methods, massive deception, national division and even violent abuse of democratic institutions,” he added in a speech .
Calling it an “important day for the American people,” French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that his country was “together” with them.
“We will be stronger to face the challenges of our time. Stronger to build our future. Stronger to protect our planet,” he said, before welcoming the United States back into the Agreement. of Paris on climate change.
Some world leaders – especially those who had a closer relationship with Trump – issued more standard congratulatory statements.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “American leadership is vital on the issues that matter to us all, from climate change to Covid”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had “a warm personal friendship dating back several decades” with Biden.
Chinese officials, who have seen relations with the United States deteriorate dramatically over the past four years, were more cautious, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying saying Beijing hoped Biden would bring back “the relations on track as soon as possible ”.
For some American rivals, Wednesday’s inauguration was less of a time to congratulate Biden and more of an opportunity to delve into Trump and his foreign policy.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also urged the new administration to revert to a 2015 nuclear deal and lift sanctions against Tehran, while welcoming the end of the era of “tyrant” President Donald Trump.
“The ball is in the US court now. If Washington reconsiders the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, we will also fully meet our commitments under the pact,” Rouhani said at a televised cabinet meeting.
Fawzi Barhoum, spokesman for Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist militant group that rules the stranded Gaza Strip, said Trump has been “the greatest source and sponsor of injustice, violence and extremism in the world and the direct partner of the Israeli occupation in aggression. against our people. “
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Andy Eckardt, Ann-Kathrin Pohlers, Paul Goldman and Claudio Lavanga contributed.
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