Even before his election as US President, 200,000 people cheered Barack Obama at the Victory Column in 2008 – more than ever at an event in the USA. Are Germans more fond of Obama than Americans? Definitely yes! Obama clearly won two presidential elections and had good popularity ratings as president. But in retrospect, Kennedy and Reagan were more popular in the United States than he was. Domestically, Obama had bitter opponents. Many Americans have never really gotten to like a black president either.
The Germans, on the other hand, saw him as the embodiment of good America – in contrast to the unpopular George W. Bush. At times, Obama was a kind of shining light for them, a beacon of hope for a better world – almost more of a prophet than a politician. No other represented the “soft power” of the leading Western power like he did.
What fascinates Germans so much about Obama? On the one hand the rocket-like ascent of a black outsider to the president of the world power, on the other hand the still youthful charisma of a gifted speaker and communicator. The Germans like about him what they obviously don’t find in German politics: optimism, nonchalance, eloquence and humor. In addition, there is the fascination of his wife Michelle Obama – a “power couple” at eye level.
Peter Wittig is Senior Advisor Global Affairs at Schaeffler, Fisher Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. From 2014 to 2018 he was German ambassador in Washington.
When he spoke in front of the Brandenburg Gate in 2013, in the first year of his second term in office, significantly fewer people came together. Was Obama only able to disappoint the high expectations placed on him? No president could have fulfilled Obama’s promises and self-imposed expectations: domestic reconciliation, world peace. In his first year in office he received the Nobel Peace Prize – an award in the hope of future success.
Disillusionment was inevitable. Obama had to learn the lesson. Domestic opposition from a Republican Party that was shifting to the right curtailed his room for manoeuvre. He became more pragmatic and lost part of his aura as a builder of unity and peace.
In your opinion, what shaped the relationship between Germans and Obama the most? After the initial euphoria, there were also disappointments about Obama: for example the wiretapping of Chancellor Merkel by the US secret service NSA in 2013 or the failure to react to the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian dictator Assad.
The image of Obama in Germany has been somewhat disenchanted – but a basic sympathy of the Germans remained. It became even clearer retrospectively when President Trump literally crashed German-American relations.
Biden will be the last transatlantic president of his kind. In the future, Europe and Germany will have to rely more on themselves.
Peter Wittigformer German ambassador in Washington
What role did the good relationship between Chancellor Merkel and President Obama play in German-American relations? The personal relationship between the two was initially rather distant. Chancellor Merkel was waiting, she didn’t think much of Obama’s great visions. And Obama wasn’t initially a “European President” at all, his gaze was directed towards the Pacific.
Only over time did a close partnership and personal sympathy between the two develop. It was central to German-American relations. During my time as ambassador in Washington, I was able to observe how close the bond of trust between these two different personalities was. Angela Merkel was clearly Obama’s preferred international partner.
Can President Biden build on Obama’s legacy in his relationship with Germany? In terms of origin and career, President Biden is strongly influenced by the partnership with Europe – even more so than Obama at the beginning of his presidency. Biden’s election was a stroke of luck for Germany. His government sees Germany as a central cornerstone of the transatlantic alliance and has a lot of understanding for German concerns and special features. This was particularly evident after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when Germany – unprepared – had to deal with the consequences of the “turning point”.
But let’s not delude ourselves: Biden will be the last transatlantic president of his kind. In the future, Europe and Germany will have to rely more on themselves.
