How Germans saw the American Election: 2020
By: Griffin Culkin
Tags: Election, Germany, Trump, Joe Biden, American German Relations

The narrative of the 2020 presidential election in the United States of America was and continues to be extremely divisive, not only the nation it was held in, but to much of the world due to its huge importance on the world stage. Germany, an old friend and close ally of the US, was one such nation that saw itself viewing the election in total awe. Politicians as well as normal citizens of the republic in Germany had strong opinions, much like their American friends, regarding the election between incumbent Donald Trump and Joe Biden. The story of just how Germans reacted to that election is one that goes back to even that of 2016. Following Trump’s last 4 years in office, German opinions of America, its politics, and its politicians have all gone through changes, finding its antithesis finally in 2020.

President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during their bilateral meeting, Wednesday, July 11, 2018 in Brussels, Belgium. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Political Perspectives: Politicians

The election of 2020 and the way the politicians of Germany reacted to it are deeply rooted in the events of the past 4 years and how the administration of Donald Trump has handled relations between the two nations.

In an an article logged by NBC News, German chancellor Angela Merkel and other prime German politicians are stated to “have made it clear that they are no longer willing to rely on Washington — especially after seeing how easily a disruptor president can get elected.” This is a stark difference from the relationship between Germany and the US under previous leadership such as with the Obama administration. In a similar article by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, it was explained how “Obama and Merkel have left a legacy of a close government-to-government relationship”. This very clearly illuminates the upheaval caused by the Trump administration over the last 4 years and how the relationship between Germany and the US has soured.

German and American flags on the car of former US President Barack Obama during his visit to Berlin in November 2016. Photo: DPA

Problems arising under Donald Trump’s policy regarding European Nations such as Germany have given rise to EU State’s “going through a painful and complicated process of trying to comprehend the US’ policy of economic protectionism, its diplomacy of sanctions, and its demands that European nations raise their contributions to NATO’s budget”. This was found through research done by a peer-reviewed study conducted recently, in 2020. This specific research goes to show that the close ties that the two nations have shared in the very recent past, even just under the last president, Barack Obama, has changed drastically under the management of President Donald Trump.

Donald Trump (l) and Frank-Walter Steinmeier (r). Photos: DPA/AP.

Important German political figures such as the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, further went on to talk about how both “Germans and Americans would still be democrats” when speaking about the, at the time, upcoming election between republican Donald Trump and democrat Joe Biden. It is sentiments such as this that exemplify the opinions of politicians within the German Republic regarding the negative opinions felt towards Trump as he nears the end of his presidential term.

Political Perspectives: The Citizens

The regular citizens of Germany are also greatly interested and affected by American politics and elections. The German state has very close ties to the United States and therefore share a lot of discussion around topics relating to its politics, even though they are foreign.

Credit: Axel Schmidt/Reuters

In a surveys conducted by the website Deutschlandtrend, it was polled that 31% of respondents described the result as “good,” and 58% as “very good” in regards to the election of Joe Biden as President of the United States in 2020. Coming from the last four years of Trump presidency, this kind of extreme sentiment in favor of an opposing politician to Trump explains the sentiments felt so strongly by the German people. Other polls done around the German Republic also reported that “nine out of ten Germans (89 percent) think it is “very good” or “good” that Biden won the recent US election” and that “80 percent of respondents to the representative survey believe that German-American relations will improve with Biden when he takes over as US President early next year.” put in contrast with polling done before Trump’s inauguration in 2016 which found that, “at that time, 57 percent expected German-American relations to deteriorate” under a Trump presidency.

Germans hold banners as they protest next to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, beside the U.S. embassy, against the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate-change deal, June 2.FABRIZIO BENSCH/REUTERS

This again reinforces just how much the people of Germany are in support of more liberal governments not just in the US, but across the globe. Support for Joe Biden by the regular citizens of Germany is an example of how damaging the Trump administration has been for United States and German relations and for how the people of Germany view politics in America.

The Future of Germany

The last four years have proven obviously detrimental to the relationship between not just the nations of Germany and the US, but also to how the normal citizens of Germany feel about American leadership. Those same people cheer on a new future of American politics with the election of Joe Biden in the 2020 election and prove hopeful for a brighter future and friendship between the once brotherly pair of countries.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel with Joe Biden in February 2015, when Biden was the U.S. vice president | Christof Stache/AFP via Getty Images

References

Here’s what Germans think about Joe Biden becoming US President. (2020, November 13). The Local. https://www.thelocal.de/20201113/heres-what-germans-think-about-joe-biden-becoming-us-president

Marcus, I. (2020, November 9). Germany Reacts to Biden’s Victory in U.S. Elections. The Berlin Spectator. https://berlinspectator.com/2020/11/09/germany-reacts-to-biden-win-in-u-s-elections-2/

Smith, A., & Angerer, C. (2020, August 4). U.S.-German ties are bad under Trump — if Biden wins he may struggle to repair them. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-german-ties-are-bad-under-trump-if-biden-n1235092

Szabo, S. S. (2016, November 1). Living Without Obama: Reflections on the State of German-American Relations. The German Marshall Fund of the United States. https://www.gmfus.org/blog/2016/11/01/living-without-obama-reflections-state-german-american-relations

VanOpdorp, D. V. (2020, November 12). Most Germans pleased with Joe Biden’s win in US election. Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en/most-germans-pleased-with-joe-bidens-win-in-us-election/a-55582418

Vasilyev, V. (2020). Germany and the U.S.: A Friendship of Convenience? International Affairs, 66(3). http://search.proquest.com/docview/2439666445/