President and Michelle Obama in Europe
The First Couple's Bid to Restore America's Image Abraod
Apr 5, 2009
With world opinion of the U.S. at historic lows in the post-Bush era, President Obama set out for Europe on a mission to repair relations with his European counterparts. With many Europeans blaming America for the global recession and lingering mistrust following the Bush administration, the new President had a very hard task ahead of him.
The President, the G-20, and the Queen of England
President Obama’s first test as a diplomat came at the long awaited G-20 summit. Many skeptics believed that little would come from the summit and many feared that French President Sarkozy would make good on his promise to walk out on the summit if he was unsatisfied. Critics also feared that a failed summit could lead to more protectionist policies among the G-20 nations, further damaging the global economy.
President Obama, however, enjoyed much greater success than expected. The meeting yielded a further 1 trillion dollars in funding to the International Monetary Fund to support economic recovery and also created a supervisory board to warn of looming problems in global institutions. Not only that, but, President Obama was credited with bringing about a consensus amongst the G-20 and even mediated an argument between the French and Chinese Presidents.
Michelle Obama also captured many headlines in her short stay in Britain. Reporters were shocked when Mrs. Obama touched the queen of England; something considered taboo during formal occasions. However, the media was astonished when it was released that the gesture was welcomed by the queen. Mrs Obama was also welcomed by adoring crowds during her visits to different sites across the nation, not to mention the media’s frenzy with her fashion sense.
The NATO Summit and Re-Focusing the “War on Terror”
President Obama left London with a victory at the G-20, but now faced a much tougher battle in France and Germany. After nearly eight years of war in Afghanistan and six years of the Iraq debacle, President Obama would have to convince his NATO allies that he had a strategy that would work in Afghanistan and that it was in their interest to commit more troops and resources to the conflict.
President Obama claims that he did not go to the NATO summit seeking any new commitments from allies, just an agreement on the way forward, and indeed few analysts expected any such agreements. However, the summit yielded high praise for America’s new strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan and NATO allies’ pledged to send 5000 more non-combat troops to the nation to assist in training the Afghani police and military. President Obama also won agreement to devote more non-military resources to the conflict.
Promoting Non-Proliferation and the North Korean Menace
Obama’s next stop on his European tour sent him to the Czech Republic to discuss his the non-proliferation and eventual reduction of the world’s nuclear arsenal. Back in London, President Obama was successful in getting the Russian President to agree to discuss a new nuclear arms agreement this coming summer in Moscow. Now in this former satellite of the Soviet Union, Obama was again met by adoring crowds eager to hear his plan to reduce nuclear stockpiles.
Obama’s speech was overshadowed, however, by North Korea’s defiance of U.N. resolution 1718 when it fired the Taepodong-2 rocket. North Korea claims it was only a communications satellite while most in the international community believed it was just a test for ballistic missile technology. The Obama administration said the launch would be a “provocative act” and President Obama responded by condemning the North Korean launch and urging swift, tough action by the United Nations.
The Rock Star Obamas and the Last Stop in Turkey
President and Michelle Obama have captivated the Europeans so far. The couple has been greeted by screaming, adoring crowds in every nation to which they have traveled thus far. Michelle Obama, especially, has been instrumental in America’s public relations campaign. Her visit to a minority school in Britain in which she spoke of her humble roots drew national and international appeal. It also seems as if the couple’s trip to the continent will see a thawing of both Western and Eastern European relations after a cooling during the Bush years.
The Obama’s still have one last stop in the Islamic, European nation of Turkey. While not necessarily serving an official diplomatic purpose, President Obama is trying to mend America’s relationship with Turkey. While Turkey has not always been a strong supporter of the U.S. it is proving instrumental in helping to resolve the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict. Most notably, Turkey is mediating negotiations between Israel and Syria.
The final fallout from the Obama’s first trip to Europe still remains to be seen. However, it does appear that the trip will be seen as a major diplomatic success for America, and may be the start of a more productive relationship between America and Europe.
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