The Estonian daily Postimees was not particularly surprised by Medvedev's announcement: "Let's say Iskander missiles are indeed set up in the Kaliningrad area. So what? Let us not forget that Medvedev's speech was preceded by the annual speech of predecessor Vladimir Putin in which he announced that Russia would be upgrading its weapons arsenal. ... What's more, Moscow already threatened to aim its nuclear weapons at Poland and the Czech Republic when they signed the agreements with the US. And why not Ukraine, too, if it refuses to give up its bid for Nato membership? Russia is dictated by nationalist interests and tends to embark on adventures with an aggressive and expansionist undertone, although that almost sounds like a cliché." (07/11/2008)

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The daily Latvijas Avize criticises Medvedev's militant rhetoric but urges other nations to remain calm: "The most foolish thing the Americans, Poles, Czechs, Latvians or other politicians from Nato states could do now would be to try to persuade Moscow that our defence systems do not represent a threat to Russia, but are intended to protect against attacks from terrorist regimes. It would be nothing but a humiliation for the world's strongest military alliance to try to justify itself. ... We should simply wait calmly and see what actually happens as regards the announced stationing of Iskander missiles. The war in Georgia demonstrated all too clearly how damaging and antiquated much of Russia's weapons technology is. In the end the only ones to suffer under Medvedev's threats will be the residents of Kaliningrad themselves if their region is further militarised." (07/11/2008)

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Delo newspaper writes that the Baltic states, the Czech Republic and Poland are concerned that the EU's Russia policy must be more consistent: "Despite Russia's threat that it will set up a missile defence shield in Kaliningrad, the European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner has advocated a start to negotiations on partnership and cooperation between the EU and Russia. ... The EU's policy is less consistent than the Russian: on the one hand Europe criticises Russia and on the other it flatters the Kremlin because it is dependent on its energy supplies. ... No one is in doubt in the new Europe that the US will have more understanding for its fears in the future, despite the change in president. ... No real changes are anticipated in US - Russian relations. In EU - Russian relations, however, the former members of the Warsaw Pact at the very least would like to see a little more consistency, or even stringency." (07/11/2008)

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The Irish Times writes that US president-elect Barack Obama faces a series of strategic decisions: "[Medvedev's] blunt warning that the new US administration must 'make a choice in favour of a full-fledged relationship with Russia' came in his first presidential state of the nation address since he succeeded Vladimir Putin. It can be read as the opening shot in a new cold war with the West or more convincingly as a clear statement that Russian interests should not be overlooked in any policy reappraisal following Mr Obama's victory. The Democrats are much less committed to missile defence, believing it is technically unproven and prohibitively expensive. ... Mr Obama cannot be seen to be put on the defensive by the Russian announcement, but neither will he want to adopt too hostile a position before he takes up office. This political transition in Washington promises to be much more active and substantive than previous ones." (07/11/2008)

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Obama faces a series of formidable challenges, writes Jyllands-Posten newspaper: "The president-elect has not yet officially taken office, and already he must get a grip on the economy. He must initiate a responsible withdrawal from Iraq and respect civil rights. At the same time the US should reaffirm its leadership role and make good on its claim to superpower status. The world is waiting for a new energy policy and responsible action on global warming. The Americans are expecting that everyone will be included in the health insurance system and that the gaps in social welfare will be filled. The list of problems goes on and on, and no one can solve them alone. For that reason it is heartening that after his defeat John McCain has offered his cooperation." (06/11/2008)

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The daily newspaper Postimees asks what turn US foreign policy will take: "For us Estonians and all Europeans the direction the US takes in this area is particularly important. The miscalculations of George W. Bush in the Middle East have gobbled up hundreds of billions in taxpayers' money, and the only result has been a dangerous amount of damage to the US's credibility. Therefore restoring confidence will be one of the first tasks facing the new captain. Since the end of the Cold War the world has become increasingly multi-polar, even if this loss of their former hegemony is painful for many Americans." (06/11/2008)

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All available articles from » Enn Soosaar

According to the Greek daily Kathimerini, Obama must first tackle the economy: "After all, we have seen that in practice it was the economy that gave Obama his victory. ... In 1992 Bill Clinton was elected under the slogan 'It's the economy stupid'. For the second time in 16 years a democratic candidate has won because his economic message gained acceptance. ... Obama must now make good on his promises to implement a progressive economic policy that helps both the working class and the middle class and at the same time preserves the trust of the markets. ... 62 percent of the voters in a survey said that the economic situation was the most important factor behind their decision. Only 10 percent mentioned terrorism or other issues." (06/11/2008)

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Zsold Németh, chairman of the Hungarian parliament's foreign affairs committee, writes in the left-liberal newspaper Népszabadság: "We need the US, especially now that Russia's foreign policy is focussing on a new division of spheres of interest. The true security risk for Central Eastern Europe today is the fragility of the trans-Atlantic alliance. ... Barack Obama's election victory encourages us in believing that this fragility in European-American relations can be overcome. ... The Czech-Polish-American missile defence system, for example, ... sends the political message that the US will remain in the region. ... Let us hope that in Democratic circles those that advocate a phased withdrawal of the US from our region will not gain the upper hand, but that the foreign policy experts from the Clinton era who made possible our Nato accession ... will prevail." (06/11/2008)

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"Obama brings change. The Czechs, too, realised this at least a year ago," the conservative daily Lidové noviny writes. "But what impact will this change have on Czech participation in the US's missile defence shield project? Will it affect the Czech EU presidency? Will Obama treat Europe as a united whole or distinguish between old and new Europe? We will have the answers to these questions in January, when as holder of the EU presidency Prague becomes Obama's partner representing Europe as a whole. ... Right now everyone is projecting all their hopes and expectations on Obama. Obama is their Winnetou while they have stepped into the role of Old Shatterhand. We can do business with a 'red gentleman' like this one; we can focus our hopes on him. Welcome, blood brother Obama!" (06/11/2008)

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The business newspaper NRC Handelsblad warns against false hopes: "Expectations are ... high. In Europe as well. Here the election result has been greeted with overt exclamations of relief, even though Obama's programme will claim its share of victims, for example in Afghanistan. But we need realism as well as optimism, because with Obama's presidency new alliances must be forged across the board." (06/11/2008)

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Obama symbolises "a multicultural ideal that since the 1990s seemed to be fading worldwide," writes the national newspaper NRC Handelsblad. "But his ambition to reunite the country conflicts with the progressive programme his party and progressive interest groups expect of him. ... The durability of the multicultural coalition will be put to the test sooner than people appeared to expect on yesterday's historical election day." (05/11/2008)

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The Spanish newspaper El País writes: "It is difficult to overestimate the significance of the fact that the Americans have voted in a black president for the first time in their history. This is as surprising as it is revolutionary. And this word is by no means an exaggeration when you consider that just 50 years ago in the land of opportunity black people had to give up their seats to white people on public buses, while in other states the army had to escort black students on their way to school." (05/11/2008)

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The daily Handelsblatt praises the United States' decision in the elections. "It is a skill for which the world envies this country: it is always capable of self-renewal. ... Where other nations confronted with crises and war prefer to play it safe and avoid risk, America does the opposite. It is putting its faith in a man who represents hope and change - with all the opportunities and risks this entails. Not only have the citizens of the US elected an African-American as president for the first time ever, they have voted for a break with the past and a new beginning." (05/11/2008)

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The business newspaper Les Echos believes change is the top priority for the US now: "America has elected its new president, but the rest of the world will have to reckon with a new America. ... Last night's elections bore testimony to a desire for change ... [The new president's] task is to persuade and seduce rather than prevail. In short, he is there to give us back a more lovable America." (05/11/2008)

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Martin Luther King's dream has come true with the election of a black US president, writes the daily newspaper De Morgen: "This dream promised that one day segregation and racism would be overcome, that change and improvement are achievable and that slowly but surely a more just and ethical world is possible. Obama's election doesn't spirit away the gap between the races, but it is an incredibly strong signal that America is still the country of unlimited opportunites for every individual." (05/11/2008)

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"Obama's victory has changed our image of America", writes the daily Ta Nea. "The impossible has happened. ... Obama's method has changed our view of politics, and this will have a profound influence on the fight for political power in every democratic country." (05/11/2008)

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For the Swiss daily Corriere del Ticino, Obama's election offers new hope for the future: "In the midst of the financial crisis America ... has cast its vote. Meanwhile the military and political difficulties in Iraq and Afghanistan ... have seriously damaged its conviction that it was the only superpower. Yet even in such difficult times, with this exercise in democracy America has reasserted its role as the cradle of courage for the West. America has made its choice and voted for change: for a young president, black and relatively inexperienced, who nonetheless is a symbol of hope and embodies the American dream." (05/11/2008)

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Blogger Miklós Tallián takes a dim view of Obama's election victory. "What had hitherto been merely conjecture became reality last night: America has elected the first black president in its history. But the fact that Obama is black is the least interesting thing about him. Much more interesting is where he will situate himself among the worst presidents of the 20th century, these being F. D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson and of course Jimmy Carter. ... America is a strong and proud country, it has won two world wars, it has survived the presidents named above and it will also survive Obama." (05/11/2008)

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The liberal newspaper The Independent writes: ""Mr Obama comes to office with a fund of goodwill, at home and abroad. He may prove a disappointment, not least because expectations have been set unreasonably high. But the greatest presidents – George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt – were great precisely because they overcame huge challenges. Today's fraught circumstances mean Barack Obama has the chance to join their number." (05/11/2008)

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The daily Correio da Manhã sees Obama's victory as a triumph of democracy. It writes that these US elections were the "most important of this century": "It may be premature to say this because the century has only just begun, but without doubt they constitute an important cornerstone for this century. ... A country that has presented one of the best election campaigns in history, that has found solutions for the political and economic crisis, but above all that involved society as a whole in the debate about its future is a shining example for the world. ... In these presidential elections, in which the turnout was so great, the true victor is democracy." (05/11/2008)

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Sidney Blumenthal, former advisor to Bill Clinton, sees the US presidential elections as the end of the Republican era. Key Republican policies have failed, Blumenthal writes in The Guardian: "Certain factors that have dominated US politics for 40 years seem destined to recede to the far corners. In economics, supply-side panaceas and deregulation created the worst crisis since the Great Depression. ... In foreign policy, neoconservatism led to the morass in Iraq and Afghanistan while undermining the western alliance. In social policy, the evangelical right battered science, the separation of church and state, and the right to privacy. Finally, the conservative principle of limited government has become a watchword for incompetence, cronyism, corruption, hypocrisy, and contempt for the rule of law." (04/11/2008)

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The Greek daily To Ethnos writes about the political legacy of George W. Bush: "The entire planet will breathe a sigh of relief to see the nightmare come to an end. ... Bush and the neo-conservatives have made Guantanamo a symbol of America, the Dachau [a Nazi concentration camp for political prisoners in Germany] of the 21st century. ... They have erected a surveillance regime ... the likes of which any dictatorship could only dream of. The wars ... in Iraq and Afghanistan were planned a long time ago as a means of ... bringing the Middle East and its crude oil under American control. ... The US is responsible for civilisation taking a step backwards. Mankind would be amazed if the Americans were ever condemned for the genocide they carried out against the unarmed people of Iraq, where they have killed thousands of people." (03/11/2008)

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The daily newspaper Luxemburger Wort comments on Europe's hopes that new approaches will be found to tackle global problems. "When America votes, the world looks over its shoulder. This has always been the case, not only because the US is a superpower but also because like no other nation on this Earth it embodies the dream of hope, change and new beginnings. And seldom has the desire for change been as tangible as in the election year 2008. The legacy of the Bush era is a heavy burden, on this side of the Atlantic as well as on the other. ... After years of bitter alienation the desire for a renewal of the traditional trans-Atlantic partnership is overwhelming. The financial crisis, the climate and terrorism - these are all issues on which Europeans expect the new American president to adopt a tough stance." (04/11/2008)

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For Mário Soares, former President of Portugal, a victory for Barack Obama would have "positive consequences for the US and the European Union, and would bring with it a radical change in geopolitics." A victory for John McCain and Sarah Palin, by contrast, would mean "the continuation of George W. Bush's disastrous administration", Soares writes in a commentary for the Diário de Noticias. "An Afro-American in the White House would mean a huge cultural turnabout in any event", Soares continues. "And in view of the high voter turnout, these elections have already effected a huge change in American mentalities. Nevertheless, you cannot expect everything to be rosy as soon as Obama wins. He has no magic wand for solving the global crisis." (04/11/2008)

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The conservative Magyar Nemzet writes that the US is on the brink of profound change: "The role of the US on the international stage stage is in for radical change. The reasons for this are not all to be found in the United States. ... On the one hand other powers [such as China] have risen quickly in recent years, while others [such as Russia] have been quick to bounce back from their short-lived powerlessness. ... Both Barack Obama and John McCain are for a moderate political line. Neither is close to the elite that is responsible for the destructive US policies of recent years. ... Both for reasons of his age and his dynamism Barack Obama seems to be more suited to the office of president. Obama has not - even to benefit his electoral campaign - hidden his readiness to engage in dialogue with those states that George W. Bush stigmatised as the 'axis of evil'. If Obama really wants to lead the US in a new direction, his major battles will have to fought at home." (04/11/2008)

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The daily Süddeutsche Zeitung argues in favour of comprehensive subsidies for the ailing auto industry. "Hardly any other industry is as globalised as the car industry. ... Now we are facing a financial crisis, and companies that compete internationally are receiving state subsidies. This is the strategy that has been decided in America and the same will no doubt be done here in Europe and Germany. We have been taught that subsidies are a bad thing because they disrupt the free play between supply and demand. ... Admittedly, this free market exists only in theory. The Japanese are taking brutal measures to protect their car business. And it is not only in Eastern Europe that governments provide huge incentives for companies wanting to open new plants there. In Germany, too, the state gives a helping hand, albeit a little more discreetly: here government money is invested in research and development. ... The goal must be for all companies to get the same aid - immediately, for a fixed period of time and, if possible, worldwide." (03/11/2008)

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The Times argues in favour of sovereign wealth funds, which are injecting badly needed funds into Western businesses. "The cross-border investments of these funds generate political controversy in developed economies. ... [The French] President [Nicolas] Sarkozy has vowed to protect French companies in the face of what he calls 'extremely aggressive sovereign funds which only follow economic logic'. By contrast, [the British Business Secretary] Lord [Peter] Mandelson declares that Europe should not discourage investment, and that London would provide a good home for the European operations of sovereign funds. ... Western governments are entitled to expect transparency in the way that sovereign funds invest their holdings of international reserves. But this requirement should not be a cover for protectionism. ... Investors with long-term horizons are conspicuous by their scarcity in today's financial markets. They ought to be welcomed." (03/11/2008)

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In the daily Polska, Polish sociologist Jadwiga Staniszkis casts the financial crisis as an opportunity for Poland: "The crisis not only will not destroy Poland's chances of modernising, it could actually provide the opportunity for this change. Naturally this depends on the strategy used to face the crisis. In the moment a crisis emerges, for example, it may be that what had previously been perceived as a setback turns out to be a valuable reserve. Take a look at the Chinese: because of the crisis they have started a series of reforms that will facilitate the trading of rights for the use of land and property. This means that all of a sudden over 730 million potential borrowers are on the market. That gives the economy a tremendous boost. And here in Poland the crisis has created a situation in which it is easier to push through difficult and hitherto unpopular social reforms - I'm thinking here of interim pensions ... and also the conversion from the zloty to the euro." (03/11/2008)

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The French business paper Les Echos analyses Russia's action plan for the crisis: "The Russia of Vladimir Putin is also affected by the crisis, and here the cards are being shuffled and dealt in a new, Russian way. We are now witness to a new round of nationalisations and privatisations, the fourth since the fall of the USSR. What is at stake is control of the world's most important firms in the area of strategic raw materials: oil, gas, steel, diamonds, nickel, gold and precious metals. ... First of all the regime will probably try to help the energy companies, because it is convinced that control of oil and gas supplies to Europe is the key to a new and grand national policy. ... The new deal could be even bigger than the three previous privatisation waves. ... And if you recall earlier times, there should be no shortage of bloody intrigues. But apart from a few exceptions, Western firms are apparently not invited." (03/11/2008)

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