Obama, the Desired, in Europe

Obama begins a trip to Europe in the next few days that, unsurprisingly, will not include Spain. He arrives at a continent immersed in “Obamania.” If Europeans could vote for President of the United States, between 53 and 72% of the voters in France, Great Britain, and Germany, would vote for the candidate of color. In Spain he would also sweep McCain.

We want Obama to cleanse the world and, looking at the electorate of his country, dilute the image that he is a little bit foggy on international politics. It seems he will give an important speech in Berlin, giving his vision of the state of the world and relations with Europe. At one point he thought of giving it at the Brandenburg Gate, where Kennedy said in German “I am a Berliner,” but it is possible that the German authorities have thought it would be an act for the American election and they don’t want to be indirect collaborators in a candidate’s campaign.

The Democratic Senator arrives in Europe in a moment in which he has to repeat, having flinched recently in a speech on the topic, that he will withdraw the troops from Iraq in 16 months. It is not the only material that Obama, having to “center” his speeches in order to get votes, has been criticized about. It is generally believed that he has had various spins on his discourse about Iraq: the possession of weapons, the failure, etc.

In Europe there is curiosity, not exempt from worry, to hear him speak on various subjects. One is Iran. He has affirmed that he will negotiate with the Ayatollah without conditions. In Europe we think this is foolhardy and that it would be the same as losing ground that had already been won. Another is commerce. The protectionist inconsistencies that he has shown in some moments of the campaign are disquieting in Europe. It remains to be seen. Maybe he has something to say. Many Europeans find it natural that the United States has the largest part of the expense, economic and military, in Afghanistan and now that things are beginning to get worse in that country, Obama will have to wait and see if the Europeans will stand shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. over troop support.

There is considerable expectation in the countries he will visit.

The London Observer’s Sunday headline reads, “The World Waits to Want a New Europe.” Obama’s hosts in France, Germany, and Great Britain, Sarkozy, Merkel, and Brown, would be able to give him, according to the Financial Times, the impression of “being love-struck adolescents.” The opportunity to be amazed will not present itself to Rodriquez Zapatero. Reality is harsh. The reason for this is that Spain currently does not have the might to squeeze into the American candidate’s tight agenda. We don’t know what happened to Felipe Gonzalez’s agenda.