World Leaders Expressed Optimism as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are Sworn in
As the United States inaugurated Joe Biden as the 46th president, world leaders, citizens, and former officials offered congratulations and expressed hope that the new administration will lead to better relations and reverse some of the policies of his predecessor.
“The United States is back. And Europe stands ready,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, proclaimed in a tweet hours before the swearing-in Wednesday.
She referred to Biden as “an old trusted partner,” adding: “I look forward to working together with Joe Biden.”
Europe
European Council President Charles Michel echoed her sentiments. In a speech to the European Parliament, he said he hoped it would be “a day of peaceful transition” in Washington and “an opportunity to rejuvenate our trans-Atlantic relationship, which has greatly suffered in the last four years.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who found herself frequently at odds with former President Donald Trump, said, “I look forward to a new chapter of German-American friendship and cooperation.”
