ZURICH (Realist English). Former US President Barack Obama spoke in Zurich on the evening of April 29. The former head of the White House shared with the audience his thoughts on the role his country is playing in the international arena now, Swissinfo reports.
Obama said that during the eight years of his presidency, he realized the need for perseverance to bring about change.
“There’s a big machinery behind the US government and it’s often harder than you think to get it moving,” he told German host Klaas Heufer-Umflauf onstage at the Hallenstadion during an hour-long conversation.
According to the former president, the head of state being the captain of a large transoceanic steamboat: “You’re at the helm, but you can see that the boat doesn’t manoeuver as well as a speedboat would,” he said, adding that one had to keep making small adjustments and be persistent.”
Six years after leaving the White House, Obama said he believed his country still plays an important role in a multipolar world. “When a problem arises somewhere in the world, we [always] look at how Washington responds,” he said.
