The US Presidential Elections evoke keen interest and globally with every country trying to sense the results with their own interests in mind. Even though the American citizens vote for their President every four years, countries across the world have to keep a tab on these elections as they have to gauge as to how the US foreign policy and its approach to its allies and enemies could change.
Given Donald Trump’s unconventional working style and his no holds barred remarks on friends and foes, the public perception was that the US Foreign Policy was an extension of his statements. Media and governments the world over reacted in similar measure. While the previous Obama Administration was more calculated and measured in their responses, the Trump administration was exactly the opposite. Countries hope that if Joe Biden enters the White House, it will certainly be in contrast to the way of Trump’s working.
Here is a peek into how the world is reacting to the US Elections 2020
On Tuesday, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported that “Many media and people worry that if the election is contested, it may trigger chaos and even social unrest.” China’s government owned broadcaster CCTV featured a video report which focused on fears of post-election violence. “There is deep concern about continued social unrest,” the report said.
In Iran which was Trump’s target every now and then, the government-funded Press TV has been providing special coverage of the American election. The “threat of civil war” after the counting was a prominent talking point, with one presenter saying that, for outside observers, the election “looks very scary”. Rolling state-run news channel IRINN also said the election had been held “under the shadow of fear of unrest”.
In Russia, the state-run TV news channel Rossiya 24 has been giving continuous coverage to the election. “We are continuing to follow the madness,” one of the presenters said. Two anchors on Rossiya 24 joked about potential accusations of bias towards the incumbent president. “Some comrades… will listen to us now and conclude that we have already declared Trump the winner,” one presenter said, to which the other replied: “It is pure mathematics, nothing more.”
There has been no official comment from the Russian government, but the pro-Kremlin politician Vyacheslav Nikonov openly said that there was uncertainty surrounding the result. “Whoever wins the legal battles half of Americans will not consider them the lawful president,” he wrote on Facebook. “Let’s stock up on large quantities of popcorn.”
In France, though there have not been any official reaction to the US elections, some of its Ministers have downplayed the significance of the elections. “Let’s not kid ourselves: The United States has not been a friendly partner to European states for several years now,” Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Radio Classique.
“Whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump is elected by Americans tonight or tomorrow, nothing changes this strategic fact,” he added. “The American continent has detached itself from the European continent.”
One of the top French newspapers Le Monde has given much favourable coverage to Trump. In an article, Le Monde says that Trump’s performance was exemplary and in contrast to what was expected. “Despite the relentless opposition, he has added five million votes from the Hispanics and Blacks and also seems to have his ideologically committed vote base intact”, says the Le Monde article.
Another French news channel France 24 says that the predicted ‘blue wave’ never came and America’s wounds are unwashed. “The definitive Democratic “blue wave” that pollsters predicted would sweep the US 2020 elections never arrived and whoever wins the White House race will inherit a deeply divided nation bruised with the wounds of the past four years”, says author Leela Jacinto in an article.
The Guardian of UK which has never hidden its contempt for Trump says that “Even if Biden does win and the results are accepted, we will have lived through a moment that showed our democracy is less stable than we assumed”. Authored by Corey Brettschneider, the article titled ‘Don’t underestimate the threat to American democracy at this moment’, says that this grave threat comes from the president’s false declaration of victory, despite no evidence that he had won the election, and with millions of valid votes yet to be counted.
Without hiding the contempt for Trump and support for Biden, the Guardian article says Americans who believe that every person’s ballot should count in an election must insist on truth and spread this message as widely as possible on social media, at our dinner tables and, if need be, through peaceful demonstrations. “That is the only way to counteract Trump’s lies and his threat of upending our democracy”, writes the author.
Balaji Subramanian 
Dhruv Ashok 
Aayush Pal