Is Biden fit for a second term?
Whether 81-year-old Joe Biden is fit for another presidency is the subject of heated debate ahead of the US elections in November. Biden himself fiercely rejected recent accusations by a special counsel who led an investigation into his handling of classified documents that he has a poor memory. The press looks at the pros and cons of Biden's advanced age.
The US needs a hardy president
Columnist Christos Michailidis argues in Phileleftheros:
“As much as I respect Joe Biden, as much as I firmly believe that he is one of the best US presidents to date, as much as he proves every day (no matter how obvious his physical weakness may be) that he is handling the tough issues, especially the Palestine issue, with real mastery - I believe that he should withdraw his candidacy for another term in the White House. The counter-argument, which certainly has a solid basis, is that he shouldn't make it easy for Donald Trump. ... But my main argument is that being in good health should be a basic requirement to run for the office of president.”
A much needed veteran
Joe Biden's age is not just a problem but also an asset, philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy explains in La Repubblica:
“The sworn enemies of the US and Europe know that President Joe Biden has shown heroic steadfastness in his support for President Zelensky. ... They know that at a time when Israel was shaken mentally and physically, Biden used his still considerable power to prevent the small Jewish state from being crushed between the walls of world hatred. And they know that no one is better suited than this veteran, who knows Washington's secrets inside out, to persuade a miserly, bickering Congress to approve military aid packages for Kyiv, Jerusalem and Taiwan.”
The Democrats' talent for losing
Biden should not run for re-election, writes Washington-watcher Frans Verhagen in NRC:
“The Democrats are experts at losing elections. It looks like they are on the way to doing it again with Joe Biden. It's time to face the facts. The president needs to be replaced. ... There are no alternatives? That's only what we think here in the Netherlands. ... It's a shame that the Democrats handle the talent in their party so badly. It's a disgrace that they are letting elections that are easy to win slip out of their hands like this. Joe Biden has to go.”