Europe: Obama's Upcoming Visit and Quotes

U.S. president Barack Obama is planning to visit Great Britain, France, Germany and the Czech Republic next month, during his first trip to Europe since taking office.

In a post titled “They all want to meet him,” P O Neill of A Fistful of Euros writes this about the upcoming visit:

An interesting wrinkle for those who care about summitry: Barack Obama’s visit to Europe in April will include Prague for what is being billed as the annual EU-USA summit.

[…]

Thus it’s going to be a big show, but presumably at the expense of getting much done with 28 heads of state/government and the Commission in attendance. It will get in a lot of “grip and grin” handshake photos for Barack Obama. Is this the format that the Obama team wanted to make worthwhile a visit to a “small” state?

Obama's words about Poland and the Czech Republic have caught attention of Taras of Ukrainiana:

[…] I also remember Obama referring to the Poles and the Czechs as “fledgling democracies.”

But this quote knocked me off my feet:

Russia needs to understand our unflagging commitment to the independence and security of countries like a Poland or a Czech Republic. On the other hand, we have areas of common concern.

[…]

Because I’m a smalltime Ukrainian who lives in a smalltime country that gave up the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal for chicken feed, I view Obama's remarks as a Bittergate. […]

Obama's mention of Hungary has also ruffled some feathers.

Pestiside.hu wrote:

OMG! OMG! Barack Obama mentioned Hungary – by name. If you don't believe the front page of Index.hu, just go to this transcript of the O-mighty's news conference yesterday and keyword search for, well, duh. Yes, his first public reference to Hungary while in office didn't go exactly the way we might have planned (he basically said we're a bunch of psycho losers who need serious help before we hurt someone). Still, he's knows who we are!

And here's a more serious – as well as economy-focused – take on it by Eva Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum:

[…] Others also blame Barack Obama who after meeting with Gordon Brown, prime minister of the Great Britain, said the following: “One of the things that Prime Minister Brown and I talked about is how can we coordinate so that all the G20 countries, all the major countries around the world, in a coordinated fashion, are stimulating their economies; how can we make sure that there are a common set of principles, in terms of how we're approaching banking, so that problems that exist in emerging markets like Hungary or the Ukraine don't have these enormous ripple effects that wash back onto our shores, and we're providing them with some help in a coordinated international fashion, as well.”

Well, that did it in Hungary. How does Obama dare to compare Hungary to Ukraine! No wonder that the forint started to fall even more rapidly after that speech. Moreover, it takes gall, these people say, to talk about problems that “will wash back to our shores.” After all, where did this whole mess start? Not in Hungary. Hungary is the victim of irresponsibility in the American banking system. […]

3 comments

  • fraidknots

    As an American…let me assure you that the majority of Americans, at least that we can see, are not in support of Obama. There are undeniable trails, relations, and facts that indicate his probable corrupted agenda and destruction of this country. In my history, no president has seemingly divided the country so much that supposedly wants to make everyone “united” or “worldly”. On behalf of myself and other American Citizens whom believe in freedom, the right to bear arms, the right to defend free speech and the idealisms that government is by the people, for the people, and of the people— we apologize for the (not mine by election) presidents insensitive actions and in considerations on such a monumental day for Poland. I can assure you that American’s are intune of what is going on and we are not at peace with his agenda or those that “surround” him.

    God’s Blessings to all your freedom seekers as well as all the hardships your country has endured.

    الحرية للكل

    • masihi banda

      I find your opinion bias and obnoxious. I don’t believe you are an American or freedom loving person period. You’ve got to be one those wana be Republicans who have messed up the country and torn up the economic system at home and abroad. Why don’t you talk about the 8-year failure of Bush-Cheney debacle that has screwed up so many lives. Much of the filth that Republicans had left behind Obama is trying to clean up and control so that we can move forward as a nation. The Republicans are continuously dividing the country with corrupted agendas of their own. But the true Americans understand all their political tricks.

      FYI: Mr. Obama is a Uniter not a Divider. He won the election by a landslide unlike Bush who twice had to resort to deceptive tactics to win. Do you remember that? I guess we the American can call Mr. Obama, the Choice-President by the people, for the people, and of the people. Lame McCain couldn’t beat him; Sorry Sarah Palin couldn’t touch him. I believe he is going to win again with the same results. He would simply destroy any Republican candidate who wants to debate him. Mr. Obama is charismatic, gifted, and smart beyond his years. Racists are jealous because he is the first African-American president who represents a true leadership for all.
      He is a Nobel Peace prizewinner for a reason. He wants peace and prosperity for all nations including Poland. God bless the President and the United States of America!

  • Kathy

    I will agree the Bush/Cheney years were certainly nothing to look back on pride – however, I blame much of his unpopularity on the media {if Obama were to do any of the horrible acts you blame on Bush/Cheney, the media would simply gloss it over. Obama is, of course, the media’s Glory Boy}. However, fraidknots is correct in that Obama has divided this country as no other president ever has. No American president has EVER bowed to the leader of another country! NEVER! The Democrats threw a fit because it took Bush (FEMA) 3 days to respond to the Katrina catastrophe. How long did it take for Obama to pay any attention to the Gulf oil spill??? I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to blame this on Bush as well!

    We can only hope a true Republican is elected next time around! Unfortunately, the mess Obama has created will propably take YEARS to recover from!

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