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Hong Kong (CNN) – In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the US embassy in Cote d’Ivoire issued a publication in which he called on the leaders of the West African nation to “demonstrate commitment to the democratic process and the rule of law”.
It was the kind of repetitive proclamation that American diplomats continually make about elections around the world, particularly in those parts where democracy is not completely secure.
But this was somewhat undermined by the US president’s comments a few hours earlier.
In a press conference hours after midnight in the White House, Donald Trump criticized his rival, Joe Biden, saying “all voting must stop” and baselessly accused the Democrats of fraud. He reiterated these points on Twitter, prompting the social media platform to label many of his posts as “controversial” or “misleading”.
Chaotic debates and an unsympathetic campaign had already tainted the position of the American democratic system abroad this year, but the image of the American leader openly trying to delegitimize the vote was still a shock to many.
Trump’s comments have been met with horror in many countries. But also with joy in others, where US critics have accused Washington of hypocrisy with respect to democratic rights.
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Reactions in Europe
Speaking on Wednesday, German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said the United States is facing a “very explosive situation” and a possible crisis. And he told public broadcaster ZDF that “these elections have not been decided … the votes are still being counted (but) the battle for the legitimacy of the result has begun anyway”.
In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson declined to comment on the election. However, former Foreign Minister and Conservative Party MP Jeremy Hunt told the BBC that “a big discussion about the process would make people like President Putin and President Xi smile, who will look at their own people. And they will say,” Not. are you glad we didn’t have any of this mess? ”and it would be an absolute disaster.
“We must remember that the reputation of democracy in the world is at stake here,” Hunt added.
The sense of moral authority
For years, the United States has presented itself as a kind of arbiter of the democratic process around the world. It did so by sending observers to the polls, supporting the democratic opposition and criticizing countries for manipulating or weakening the elections.
This week the State Department condemned China’s crackdown on democratic freedoms in the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong. In Belarus, a close ally of Moscow, the United States no longer recognizes Alexander Lukashenko as a “legitimately elected leader”. This is after highly contested elections in the former Soviet state.
This sense of moral authority is likely now being questioned in some parts of the world.
After Tuesday’s vote, Russian state broadcaster RT described the US as “whipped and divided”. Many of its columnists have highlighted the potential chaos Trump’s comments could wreak. And one wrote that “the issue paints a grim picture for American democracy”.
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Reactions in China
In China, the alleged shortcomings of American democracy have long been used to support Beijing’s authoritarian model. The confusion and concern over Tuesday’s vote are no different.
Chinese diplomats and official government spokesmen have remained largely silent on the results and the ongoing conflict. But the state-backed media were quick to point out the discrepancy between Washington’s position as a standard-bearer of international democracy and Trump’s comments.
The Global Times, a nationalist state tabloid, published an article on Wednesday noting that “deep divisions in the United States contradict democratic values.”
“Democracy is exercised in a civil and elegant way. Those who lose the elections must remain calm, accept the result and demand that the differences be ironed out to move the country forward. But it appears that this does not exist in the United States today, “added writer Wang Wenwen.
Meanwhile, Beijing News, a Communist Party-controlled newspaper, said that “no matter who wins the 2020 election, American society will not be able to return to the state it was in”, having been “torn apart” by the recent competition. and Trump’s time in office.
The “lighthouse” that Ronald Reagan spoke of
President Ronald Reagan once spoke of the United States as a “beacon” for those seeking freedom and democratic rights. And while this claim has long been the subject of criticism, especially given Reagan’s support for dictators during his tenure, it has remained a powerful and encouraging message to many.
Yet this year’s elections can permanently damage that message and, with it, Washington’s credibility in telling others how democracy should work.
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