Barack Obama visited Berlin and spoke about politics and the world in front of 17,000 spectators in the Mercedes-Benz Arena. The evening was a mixture of great show and serious discussion, with Obama being interviewed by moderator Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, as reported by “Spiegel”.
Among other things, Obama discussed the division of the world into democratic and authoritarian states, citing the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as part of this conflict. However, he was particularly concerned about divisions within Western countries, particularly in the US, and stressed the need to restore confidence in democracy.
Women Praise from Obama
The former US President praised the role of women in politics. He joked that if all countries were ruled by women, “all problems would be solved within two years”. This sounds strange considering that Angela Merkel ruled Germany for 16 years, as Der Spiegel notes.
During his tenure as President of the United States, he stated that it is important to care about your employees and help them be successful. His staff should be able to challenge the President.
On the subject of climate change, Obama mentioned that he was at home discussing the two-degree target with his daughter Malia. He admitted that during his tenure he was not a climate visionary, but a realpolitiker, content with what was possible nationally and internationally.
Cheers like a pop star
Obama also expressed concern about the disappearance of truth online, calling it “one of the greatest threats to democracy.” He spoke about deepfakes and the difficulties of detecting fakes.
According to Spiegel, at the end of his speech Obama called for diversity and called on young people to make the world a better place. After a good hour, Obama left the stage to the cheers of the audience, similar to that of a pop star.
Overall, the evening was a mixture of show and serious discussion, with Barack Obama sharing both his political experience and his personal opinion on various issues.
