By Martin Banks - 21st January 2009
I hope expectations of his presidency are not too high
Hans-Gert Pöttering
Parliament’s president Hans-Gert Pöttering has sounded a note of caution amid the worldwide euphoria surrounding new US president Barack Obama.
The German MEP told theparliament.com that he hoped expectations of the first African-American president would not be “unrealistic”.
After listening to Obama’s inauguration speech on Tuesday, Pöttering said the new president “clearly has a deep feeling of history”. “I was impressed by his sense of commitment and charisma,” he said.
“But I hope expectations of his presidency are not too high because he faces some major global problems and will need good friends.”
Pöttering revealed that he has invited Obama to address a plenary session of parliament in early April during his first visit to Europe for the G20 summit in London and the 60th anniversary Nato summit in Strasbourg and Baden Baden.
“The symbolic value of a presidential visit towards strengthening the bonds between our two great democratic systems cannot be over-estimated,” he said.
Pöttering’s comments were partly echoed by Danish Socialist MEP Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, who is in Washington for the inauguration.
He said, “The American people’s expectations of this ‘president of hope’ are sky high. The risk of disappointment is real. But I believe he can manage those expectations, he underlines it will be hard.
"He says it will take time. But I believe he and his administration are determined.”
He added, “At the same time, Obama can’t achieve his ambitions without Europe. It’s exciting - the opportunity for Obama and his ‘Yes we can’ attitude to bring about better policies on both sides of the Atlantic and common actions to tackle global crises.
“It should also inspire European social democrats and socialists to have more confidence in our own message of hope.”
Reaction also came from several other MEPs who watched Obama’s speech at a special event at the US mission to the EU in Brussels.
They included Monica Frassoni, joint leader of the Greens group in parliament, who said, “His speech was very powerful, concrete - and green. He said exactly what both the US and Europe needed.
“It wasn’t very positive towards George Bush and he seemed to want to stress the difference between himself and Bush.”
German EPP deputy Elmar Brok said, “It was a great speech and wonderful to listen to. Now we wait to see the results.”
UK Tory MEP Geoffrey van Orden described the address as “inspiring”, adding, “He has identified the difficult challenges faced by both the US and we in Europe. He wants the US to take up a position of leadership. I welcome this and wish him well.”
Speaking before the inauguration, commission president José Manuel Barroso said that Europe and the US “must work together and with our partners around the world to devise and implement this new agenda for globalisation”.
“I look forward to working together with Obama and his administration to promote a politics of global engagement, that will support international institutions reformed to address effectively our global responsibilities, from climate change to development aid, trade, democracy and human rights, and sound financial systems,” he added.
“Today, the eyes of the world are on Obama. But tomorrow, indeed immediately, it is the world that must have his - and our - attention. We look forward here in the commission to joining with the US and our partners to rise and meet the challenges of globalisation.
“I personally believe that the election of Obama was a defining, turning point for America. It may now also be an important turning point for the rest of the world.”
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