OPINION

The day after the elections

Barack Obama’s victory in the race for American president proves that in a democracy, anybody – irrespective of their backgrounds, the color of their skin, their gender or their personal history – can aim for and eventually gain the highest political distinctions. His victory also proves that democratic systems have an endless vitality that allows them to be rejuvenated, that a senator with a limited reputation can convince the people with his political stance and can earn the highest spot on the political ladder. As of yesterday, the entire world has embraced the American people’s hope for change. It expects the new president to display less ignorance of international affairs and less arrogance than his predecessors. It expects to see America playing a leading role in forging partnerships to tackle the big international issues. It expects to see the miracle of the elections repeated: to see an American president who is aware of the fact that his country does not inhabit some distant galaxy, but, as Obama himself said, may follow a different course from other countries but shares the same fate.

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