By Grace Hwang
Following the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on January 20th, reactions from world leaders poured in, mostly to offer their congratulations and to celebrate a “new dawn in America”, as said by president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. In a video she posted on Twitter, she stated, “Europe is ready for a new start with our oldest and most trusted partner.”
Many other countries expressed similar sentiments. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson congratulated Harris on “her historic inauguration” and wrote “America’s leadership is vital on the issues that matter to us all, from climate change to COVID, and I look forward to working with President Biden.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the inauguration as a “true celebration of American democracy.” French President Emmanuel Macron gave his best wishes to the newly elected president and vice president, also tweeting, “Welcome back to the Paris Agreement!” Several other political leaders, including the Canadian and Indian Prime Ministers, as well as the Tainwanese and Israeli Presidents, along with religious leaders, such as Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama, also expressed their congratulations and hope for greater success to come on social media.
However, some leaders took a different route in their inauguration day messages. Javad Zarif, Iran’s Foreign Minister, slammed former President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for authorizing an airstrike that killed General Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian commander, tweeting that the memories of the Trump administration’s “terrorism & crimes against humanity, will shine on.” Although Zarif did not congratulate either Biden or Harris, he wrote “Perhaps new folks in DC have learned.” During a Chinese Foreign Ministry press conference, spokeswoman Hua Chunying criticized the former Trump administration as well, saying “too many bridges have been burned and need to be repaired”, and soon after Biden was sworn in, China placed sanctions on many of the former administration officials. And Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to react to Biden’s inauguration, but a spokesperson did indicate that he saw no changes in the relationship between the U.S. and Russia, saying that they would try to seek good relations, just like the two nations have done for many years.
But on a different note, there was probably no other place that celebrated most of all than that of a tiny village in India: Thulasendrapuram, Vice President Harris’ ancestral village where her mother’s family was from. Inauguration Day there was marked with special prayers and celebrations, where Harris’ pictures were displayed all around as she broke several barriers and made history, becoming the first woman, first black, and first South Asian to be elected as Vice President. A local teacher told The Associated Press, “We are feeling very proud that an Indian is being elected as the vice president of America.”
In a time full of strife, hardship, and pain, Biden’s and Harris’s inauguration brought a sense of much needed optimism to the world. Many hope that the new administration will bring more of that in the years to come.
