The media in Germany were in general surprised that U.S. President Barack Obama was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize. But they also were split on the Norwegian body’s decision.
A Prize of Hope
German mass tabloid Bild on October 9, 2009 called the decision “A Prize of Hope”. “It is a prize for a new start, a prize for optimism, confidence and love of mankind.”
It continued: “The prize for Obama is a prize for the future. Obama opens his hands for all – and they are not holding a sword…The Nobel Prize is also a prize for America. After the shadows of the Bush years, the sun has risen. Obama symbolizes the good in politics.”
Sensation in Oslo
The highly regarded sueddeutsche zeitung called the decision a “sensation in Oslo” and a “questionable decision”.
“The Nobel committee in Oslo apparently does not hand out its peace prize on completed measures. It gives out the honor in expectation of a prophecy to be fulfilled. But prophecies are a matter of religion and not politics. Therefore the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama is little more than a incomprehensible aberration of six jurors who lost any feeling for realism or power of judgment.”
Longing for a Good America
The daily Welt said the honor represented a “Longing for a good America”.
“The honor is an advance payment: for what President Obama promised to accomplish, for the hopeful yields of his readiness to cooperate… Obama is already very close to the goal of morally rehabilitating America in the world… Barack Obama is the object of longing for the good America – the America that we know and trust, which does things together with the world and not act like a super power convinced of their power and dominance.”
The paper continued: “Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize because he gives hope. Because he is not scared of multilateralism. But not everything he touches turns to gold.”
The False Signal
The leftist daily taz meanwhile said Obama winning the prize “sends the false signal” and it “hurts the prize” and it doesn’t even help the honoree.
“The Nobel committee does not want to make a statement but rather wants to meddle with current politics. The members have often proven that they do not avoid strife but rather enjoy provoking it.”
“But something is new. Until now, the prize has been awarded for actions and not declarations. It was never about honoring the rhetorically best rising talent. But Obama is exactly that – a rising talent on whom many hopes lay. Maybe the U.S president would be a worthy prize winner in a few years. Until now he has said some nice things but not achieved much, which is not to blame him after so few months in office. “
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