The US election has transformed a farewell presidential visit from a chance for cautious optimism into a trip that is full of foreboding and uncertainty Barack Obama’s three-day visit to Europe this week, the last of his presidency, is inevitably overshadowed by the capture of the White House by the man whose victory he tried but failed to prevent. Donald Trump’s values, or lack of them, are in stark contrast to those that have tied the two continents since 1945. His campaign pledges have shaken Europe’s confidence to the core. His victory has turned a trip that was originally intended to showcase Mr Obama’s foreign policy legacy into a US damage limitation exercise. The choice of a first stop in Greece, birthplace of democracy, was originally intended to convey strong symbolism, as well as to express support for the kind of debt relief that Alexis Tsipras’s government has long been asking for. Mr Obama’s aides have indicated that Wednesday’s speech in Athens will focus on democratic governance and the need for “more inclusive growth” in the face of globalisation and its inequalities. The president may now have to add a new section about the challenges that confront American democracy too. Continue reading...
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