The world watched the American presidential elections carefully. In the presidential elections, the turnout rate was quite high (around 67 %). The candidate of Democrats Joe Biden took the lead and became the forty-sixth President of the United States. Whether the Biden administration will be able to solve the problem of social polarization in America and revive the liberal international order after the revolutionary Trump era that produced destructive effects will be the main issue which will be deeply debated in the upcoming weeks.
The victory of Biden is important not only for the future of the United States, but also for the international economic and political order. It is to be noted that, the election of Biden as President will not result in the sudden or rapid disappearance of problems for the US and the world order. However, it will put major changes on global political and economic scene.
In the pre-election process, the global capital circles and global media have been in favor of Biden. From Spain to Indonesia, from Turkey to Australia numerous surveys have been conducted making reference to the success of Biden.
Important changes are about to be witnessed under Biden rule. The US government which left some multilateral agreements and international organizations during the Trump era is supposed to return to these agreements and organizations under Biden rule. The Iran Nuclear Agreement (JCPOA), the Paris Climate Deal are the highlights of these. During Donald Trump’s office, America’s relationship with the world changed profoundly. However, Biden’s victory offers a bigger change. For instance, Biden offers a challenge for a Chinese system devoid of democratic governance.
On the other hand, Biden has demanded North Korea show that it is willing to abandon its nuclear weapons before he holds any meetings with Kim Jong-un. Moreover, the Biden presidency is supposed to put more pressure and more sanctions upon Russia.
In terms of relations with Europe, it is known that while Trump defended the idea of Brexit, and disliked the European Union (EU) integration process and supported illiberal populist movements in the region, Biden will do the opposite. Trump used to see the world politics as a field where each state stands on its own feet by contrast, Biden believes that global cooperation can be achieved on common interests and values.
Finally, with regard to domestic politics of US, Biden has introduced critical changes as a start. The new elected president Biden is preparing to assign important roles to women in the cabinet after the first female and black Vice President Kamala Harris. In short, it can be said that, Biden era will bring significant changes to both the world and the American political arena.
Dr. Begüm BURAK