The view from Europe of Obama's first 100 days in office

There is no question that Barack Obama is clearly a star on the European scene. In his first 100 days in office, Obama has impressed Europeans with his charm and humor. More importantly, he has put the United States back on the path of international cooperation and partnership, which ironically may do more than anything else to reestablish it as a world leader. Admittedly, after the disastrous failures of the Bush administration, almost any change would look good.

As Europeans see it, Obama has said all the right things. The question now is whether the administration will follow through and back its words with action.

Le Temps, Geneva’s leading international newspaper, caught the mood in today’s headline: “President Obama has exploded the wall of contempt and silence in which the U.S. had enclosed itself. The most difficult challenge lies ahead.” The Tribune de Geneve described Obama’s first 100 days as moving at a racer’s pace.

Obama impressed nearly everyone at the G20 meeting in London, partly because few other leaders on the world stage have his charisma and charm, or are as articulate in expressing their ideas. In Istanbul, Obama’s portrait is seen everywhere on a poster with a bank advertisement, and that is in spite of the current financial crisis.

In France, his image has been used on travel posters advertising recession-proof vacations with the slogan: “Yes, we can!” But beyond Obama’s obvious personal appeal, the administration has shown itself surprisingly adept at making the right moves in foreign policy. Hillary Clinton’s first official trip to Europe as secretary of state was a virtuoso performance; she quietly lined up support from NATO members in Brussels before meeting Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva to discuss strategic arms limitation.

Obama has been so successful at speaking to Muslims that Islamic extremist groups are concerned that the U.S. may be able to renew its former influence in the Middle East. Obama deftly opened the door to discussions with Iran, but wisely did not show up at the recent United Nations conference on racism at which Iranian President Ahmadinejad lashed out once again at Israel. As a result, Obama appeared open and reasonable, while Ahmadinejad alarmed European audiences.

At the U.S. mission to the European headquarters of the United Nations here in Geneva there is clearly satisfaction that the United States is returning to its traditional role as a world leader on human rights, international law and humanitarian issues. The one concern is that the administration has been slow at filling key administration posts, and as new challenges inevitably arise, it may find itself stretched thin.

http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/america-and-the-world/090429/the-view-europe-obamas-first-100-days-office