A plebiscite. First up Twitter and on Facebook, first hunting grounds and consensus for the most Internet-loving president in the history of global politics, and then cascading in the applause statements of world leaders and in newspapers around the planet. And finally, not least, on the dreaded financial markets, which today from Hong Kong to Milan responded positively to the re-election of Barack Obama as president of the United States for a new term. Even if, as recalled by Bloomberg, the reference newspaper for international finance: “Obama wins and challenges history on the economy”, as if to launch a warning on the central theme of the next four years, which remains that of the debt crisis.
So - for now - also the governor of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, and with him breathe a sigh of relief all European leaders, who tend to be exposed in favor of the confirmation of the democratic leader. One of the first to uncork the champagne was French President François Hollande, who applauded the "clear choice" of the Americans and an "open and supportive country, a protagonist on the international scene and in particular on the Middle East question". The enthusiasm of the Elysee is matched by that of a large part of the transalpine press, from Libération (“Obama keeps the House”) to Le Monde, which dedicates the cover of the site to an open forum with readers, to Le Figaro (“America offers another four years to Obama”).
Equally warm, at least on paper, the congratulatory message from German Chancellor Angela Merkel: "I congratulate you on the victory: we have collaborated closely and amicably over the years, and we will do it again especially on the issues of the world crisis". These are the words of Frau Angela, followed by a certain media euphoria, in particular by the popular Bild, almost epic in proclaiming Obama bis. The same enthusiasm is registered in Japan, where due to the time difference the news arrives in the afternoon but despite this many newspapers went wild by invading newsstands with extraordinary editions. The British newspapers are less imaginative than usual: the Guardian does not shine for originality reporting the cult phrase of the first speech as president-bis: "The best is yet to come", while the Telegraph limits itself to a chronicle: "US elections, Obama re-elected as president".
The same detached tone is recorded in some overseas newspapers, in particular the Wall Street Journal, which has always been cold towards the current tenant of the White House, while the New York Times emphasizes an issue that is perhaps little perceived abroad but much felt in the States: “Electoral advantage holds, popular vote is tight”. Obama has the majority of electors, but the popular vote instead shows a country clearly split in two. Therefore, even before the economy and Europe, Obama's challenge will be at home.
And then there is the non-indifferent Middle East question, from which signs of great relaxation are arriving. One of the first to write to the re-elected American president was his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Morsi: "I hope that the friendship between Egypt and the United States will strengthen, under the banner of the common goals of peace, justice and freedom". Also Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan (where the US still has 70 soldiers engaged in missions), in his congratulatory message he hoped for a strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries, "in particular in the fight against Taliban terrorism".
They also showed up from Beijing and Moscow, other crucial nodes in international politics with stars and stripes. The joint statement by Chinese premier Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao was very dry, while from the Kremlin Vladimir Putin has made it known that he welcomes Obama's re-election in a "very positive way". declaring himself ready to "cooperate as far as the American administration can".
