Biden steps aside, Democrats brace for election turmoil
The echoes of Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from seeking re-election have not quieted. On Sunday, he stated that he "believes it is in the best interest of his party and country to step aside and focus solely on performing the duties of the President for the remainder of his term." Biden's resignation is being commented on by the foreign press.
6:38 AM EDT, July 22, 2024
Commentators from the largest German newspapers considered it a justified, albeit risky, decision that may lead to internal conflicts within the Democratic Party but could also give it a new impetus in the campaign.
"Sueddeutsche Zeitung" writes that the Democrats face chaos and potentially a great opportunity. Joe Biden's resignation did not free the Democrats from their problems, but it is the beginning of an unprecedented story containing threats and opportunities, reports Stefan Kornelius.
"Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" describes the whole situation as a fiasco caused by their own people. As Nikolas Busse writes: "The Democrats have dared to take an uncertain experiment shortly before the elections. Kamala Harris needs to convince the party. The only certainty is that the thrill in Europe will only intensify."
"Tagesspiegel" believes the decision was made very late, but not too late. Daniel Friedrich Sturm points out that "Biden achieved more during his incomplete term than other presidents in eight years and will go down in history as one of the great presidents," and "without the USA, Ukraine would have already lost the war with Russia a long time ago." "In stepping down, Biden is doing his country a favor. If he wants to show an even greater historic format, he should hand over the White House to someone ready to fight against Trump in the coming days," he adds.
"A necessary, perhaps belated choice"
"President Joe Biden gives up," his resignation from candidacy in the elections is "a dramatic moment in the history of the USA," a necessary, belated step, comments the Italian press on his decision.
"La Stampa" summarizes the president's decision with the words "Bye bye Biden." American journalist Alan Friedman writes in this newspaper that Biden was prompted to this decision by the "democratic elite," but, as he adds, there is a division in the party regarding what happens next. According to the columnist, there is a risk of "chaos" during the Democratic Party convention. "And on the other side, there is an adversary, an enemy of democracy," he adds.
The commentator of the journal "La Repubblica" writes about the "drama of Biden's decision," noting that the current situation is one of the most difficult challenges for the Democrats because, he recalls, "never before in history did a candidate withdraw just a month before the convention."
"Corriere della Sera" notes that the past weeks have "crippled President Joe Biden" and raised doubts about his age, causing "horror at the possibility of his clear defeat."
"Il Messaggero" writes about "a necessary, perhaps belated choice," and "Il Giornale" states: "The game has changed." According to the newspaper, "The Democrats now have to come up with a strategy, and the Republicans will counterattack."
"Harris better than a Trump return"
Canadian media point out that Biden's decision gives the Democrats a chance to defeat Donald Trump. "Kamala Harris as president would be better for Canada than Trump's return to the White House," wrote the conservative newspaper "The Globe and Mail" in a commentary.
A centrist-liberal "The Toronto Star" commentator emphasizes that "Joe Biden might have just given the USA a significant chance to avoid another Trump presidency." Meanwhile, the author of another analysis called Biden "a president worthy of a Shakespearean tragedy," adding that "it is an unworthy political end for a man who, loved or hated, devoted his entire adult life to public service."
The French-language "Le Devoir" wrote about Democrats who "hesitate between a broken heart and new hope." Meanwhile, the French-language public broadcaster Radio-Canada reported that within just five hours of Biden's decision, Kamala Harris's campaign team collected $27.5 million from small donors contributing less than $200.
"Historic decision"
The Spanish radio station Cadena SER believes Biden's decision is late but fortunately appeared early enough to rally the ranks in the Democratic Party against Donald Trump's candidacy.
The newspaper "El Pais," writing about Biden's "towel thrown" in time, notes that Vice President Kamala Harris rightly received the support of the Democratic leader as the party's future candidate in the elections.
However, Spanish commentators do not hide that Harris’s tenure as vice president was overshadowed by Joe Biden's actions, and the American politician too often remained in his shadow.
"El Mundo" believes that Biden's Sunday decision is not only "historic," which means a step in the right direction. It also calls it "an act of common sense."
