The world watched the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States along with American citizens. What they say they saw, read and heard was a message of renewed cooperation and leadership.
Around the globe the media is extolling the content of Barack Obama’s inaugural address and hailing it as a new direction for the United States in terms of international affairs.
The
Chinese press, English version, had several front page stories dealing with the inauguration. One of them quoted in its lead the selection from the inaugural address where Obama said that the United States will seek "even greater cooperation and understanding between nations.
The International Herald Tribune wrote that the inauguration was a world event. In Paris parties were planned for the day and evening, and people sat in front of television sets watching the ceremonies take place in Washington D.C. The French were reported as positive about the inauguration of Obama and in a celebratory mood about the event. In Paris, a party took place at the ornate Hôtel de Ville on the banks of the River Seine, to be followed by informal parties scheduled around the city. The American Library in Paris had a screen showing the inauguration as well as a debate. France, according to
one newspaper, has fallen in love with Obama, and the story of his inauguration took up several pages in their mainstream press.
The UK press, demonstrated by a
Scottish newspaper, wrote in praise of the inauguration and stressed the cooperation that is anticipated between Gordon Brown and Obama. The newspaper related one of Mr. Brown’s statements through a spokesperson that his government and Obama’s administration “share a very similar view on the role of the environment."
What is said to be the oldest of
Kenya’s online newspapers had Obama’s inauguration as its front page story. President Kibaki had sent a congratulatory message, and the entire text of Obama’s inaugural address was printed in the paper. Kenya was the home of Barack Obama's father, and many of his relatives live there and celebrate Obama's Inauguration as President of the United States.
An online paper in Egypt provides several stories on Obama’s inauguration, although it is not the main story as it is in Scotland, France and Kenya. Nevertheless, several stories narrate the events with headlines that focus on Arab-American opinions as well as the high hopes that people around the world have for Obama.
Saudi Arabia has several stories on the front page of
one of its newspapers. One headline reads, “We Will Overcome What Ails Us Now,” referring to a selection from the Obama inaugural address. Another is entitled “All Eyes Are on Barack Hussein Obama” Their take on things is related in the following concerning the political atmosphere surrounding Obama and the expectations,
“Not surprisingly, America, so starved of dignity and self-respect both at home and in the world at large after eight years of a breathtakingly inept and corrupt Bush presidency, has been celebrating for three days in a flood of optimism and hope. It is as if the nation is undergoing a rebirth and Obama is poised to give his very own “Gettysburg” speech modeled on that of his hero, Abraham Lincoln.”
Barack Obama is being hailed around the world as having the potential to be a truly great leader. January 20 is being celebrated today not just in the United States but in many countries who have waited for a change from the George Bush Presidency
