His voice sends the audience on a journey through time. It’s the sound of an era when a sporty, charismatic US President took over half the world for himself. In which the world still seemed to be in order, at least in the glorifying memory. And voices of reason in America and Europe set the tone.
“Thank you Berlin. Its good to be back,” Barack Obama begins his performance. When he then mentions his wife Michelle, the first cheers ring out through the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Obama’s speech at the Victory Column in 2008 with over 200,000 spectators should not be missing from the nostalgic excursion into the past. “It was a pretty good rally, and I wasn’t even president then,” praises Obama with a wink.
Longing for the time without Trump and Putin’s war
A longing for that time lies palpably over this evening. A time before Donald Trump, before Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, without fear of a climate catastrophe.
Moderator Klaas Heufer-Umlauf does not ask why the present is so much more depressing and whether Obama’s policies have contributed to this development. He only gives the keywords for Obama’s reflections on how democratic societies can win the future.
The ex-president continues to rely on enlightened optimism as in his youth as a “community organizer”, which catapulted him into politics. This is already announced in the pre-program. In Berlin, education as a prerequisite for equal opportunities and social advancement is the topic before Obama takes the stage. A few days earlier, local social projects and “change makers” had been presented in Zurich. He donates the millions he earns on the European tour to such projects.
People who have too much power and do not tolerate contradiction lose touch with reality. Then they rain bombs on innocent people like Putin.
Barack Obama
Whether it’s Vladimir Putin or Donald Trump – Obama doesn’t mention the name, only speaks of “my predecessor”: Your mistake is outdated thinking about hierarchies, group selfishness and violence to assert interests.
“People who have too much power” and do not tolerate contradiction “lose touch with reality. Then they drop bombs on innocent people like Putin.”
The central challenge is “not external enemies, but the cohesion of our societies and the trust of citizens in politics”.
Lesson on modern leadership
people are different. This shouldn’t be misused to cause division, Obama says, but must learn to appreciate it as a productive tension.
He praises Germany several times. On Tuesday he “had dinner with an old friend, Angela Merkel – many hooted again – and on Wednesday he met “the new chancellor”, pause, “Scholz”. “They come from different parties, but have the same principles.”
In a democracy, there are rules on how to resolve differences of opinion,” Obama said. “It becomes dangerous when some, like Orban in Hungary or my successor, say: I only care about power.”
He doesn’t worry about changes in government “as long as all those in government understand that they have only borrowed power from the citizens. And treat political opponents with respect.”
A lesson in modern leadership follows. A president must put together a team that is as diverse as possible – and learn to listen and encourage dissent. “We all have our strengths and weaknesses. The leader must ensure that everyone succeeds together.”
The young employees usually know the details better than the old superiors. And I have a positive prejudice about women.”
Barack Obama on his leadership principles
He made an effort when it came to difficult decisions – “and only they reach the President; what is easy to decide is solved beforehand” – to ask young employees in the second or third row. “They usually know the details better than the superiors who are older and sit directly at the advisory table.”
And he has “a positive prejudice about women. Strong women were my role models: my mother, my grandmother. So I listened to women in my government.”
Warning of rigorous climate demands
It’s quiet in the hall now. Thousands hang on his every word. What does he say to the young people who are losing trust in the government in the climate crisis? “You must not give up!”
Most countries “are not delivering on their commitments. But running away crying is not an option.” Obama opposes uncompromising demands. It sounds like a reminder to the “last generation”.
“We won’t get it perfect, but every step away from dirty energies gives us time to prevent a catastrophe.” He also says this to his younger daughter Malia when her friends complain that the climate goals are not being achieved.
“Perhaps we will not reach the two-degree target. But it makes a big difference whether we end up with 2.5 or 3.5 degrees of warming. More or less coastal regions are flooded depending on the situation. It is also worth fighting for.”
One should not ignore the everyday life of the citizens. For example, that “many rely on cheap petrol to drive to work.”
Has globalization gone too far? Obama advises separating the “capitalist globalization” of the movement of goods from the globalization of people. “The fact that the world is moving closer together has great advantages.” He does have “problems with China because it has an authoritarian regime. But I am grateful that millions of Chinese have been lifted out of poverty.”
Again he praises Germany. “Fortunately you have a tradition of cooperation between strong unions and companies. We cannot reverse globalization, but we need to think more deeply about the impact it has on people.”
40 percent of people in Germany have a parent who wasn’t born here,” says Obama. “We cannot protect ourselves from the outside world with walls. We must build bridges. But at the same time defending the fundamental rights and principles we stand for, such as the protection of minorities.”
What does he say to the old people? “Move out of the way!”
Obama wants to inspire confidence. “Our grandchildren will think like ‘global citizens’. But on the way there we have to get through bumpy times.”
After 60 minutes it’s over. One last piece of advice: A lot of people see him as the guy who put his faith in “hope” and “change” and asked what gave him hope today. “Then I say: the next generation.” And what does he say to the old people? “Move out of the way! He gets a standing ovation for that.
