Barack Obama's confirmation in the White House was also received with tepid favor in the German capital, where, for some weeks, theestablishment he wondered perplexed about the fate of Euro-Atlantic relations in the event of Mitt Romney's victory. On the eve of the vote, among German foreign policy experts there was discussion if and how the Republican candidate would bet on a new war activism and if he would soon announce an increase in defense spending. If therefore, in some ways, Obama's re-election offers relative stability, in others, it is not without questions. There are two issues at stake. One economic and the other military.
In foreign policy, analysts explain, the US will try, where possible, to shift the costs and responsibilities for new military interventions to the European allies. In short, the level of confrontation could rise in the coming months, especially when and if it comes to making a definitive decision regarding Syria (and Mali). But even on Afghanistan it is not excluded that the commonality of interests could soon disappear. The "nuclear weapons" file will also be on the negotiating table. Since 2009, Germany has wanted to denuclearize its territory (and Europe) of the US weapons still present, but so far the agreement within NATO has never been reached. Hence the invitation from the Foreign Minister, the liberal Guido Westerwelle to Obama to finally get serious.
Beyond the military interventions, however, what really worries governments and markets in Europe is the state of the public accounts in the United States. They could soon get out of control. If this were the case, even the Old Continent, already crushed by the crisis within the Eurozone, would risk paralysis. Hence the strong fluctuations on international markets immediately after the outcome of the vote. In Berlin, then, the differences in economic and monetary policy with Washington are felt with particular emphasis. It has come from the United States several times the invitation to resolve the debt crisis in the FED style as soon as possible, i.e. with a massive intervention by the central bank or with the issuance of Eurobonds. Germany, in turn, has launched an appeal for Barack Obama to finally take measures, avoiding the so-called. tax cliff, i.e. that cliff dive made of massive tax increases and spending cuts that, starting in the new year, could occur if the President fails to find a (different) compromise with the opposition on how to cut deficits and debt. “The policy financed only by debt has come to an end, they know it even in the United States”, the Foreign Minister of Berlin chanted the other day again. How to say. We'll have our problems, but you have yours. Nothing lenient, Please visit! The post-voting comment by Philipp Mißfelder, politician of the CDU, was no different: "Now Obama must demonstrate that he can adjust the state budget". The Chancellor immediately intervened to tone down the tones, inviting Obama to visit her soon in Berlin. It would be the first official visit of the American President to the German capital. However, a trip too close to the federal elections next September could be interpreted as undue support for Mrs Merkel.
On the other hand, the negotiation of a free trade treaty between Europe and the United States does not appear to be on the agenda, relaunched in the aftermath of Obama's victory also by the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz. Although Germany is pressing in this sense, the White House has a long list of agreements to make on its agenda, especially with Asian countries. The works of theEU-US High Level Group on Growth and Jobs they seem to be still quite behind.
