Habemas (Americanum) Papam! ... Upstaging Donald ... Who can the world trust? Ready-fire-aim in TrumpWorld ... For our paid: LA's empty ships plus our Cartoon gallery.
In this weekly feature for Andelman Unleashed, we continue to explore how the media of other nations are reporting and commenting on the United States, and how they are viewing the rest of the world.
Coming to you this week from Paris….
To emphasize, we cover lots of ground….So, you may not want to read it all, but it's all here for you!
With a few Updates on Monday ….
An agreement of sorts from Geneva on tariffs: ready-aim, but still waiting for the fire. The markets on Monday seem to like the new China-America tariff regime. Let’s wait for the fine print….
Startling early returns from the Philippine elections as Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor of The Times of London reported:
Rodrigo Duterte, former president of the Philippines, is expected to be elected mayor of one of the country’s largest cities, two months after being charged by the International Criminal Court with crimes against humanity.
Polling suggests Duterte, 80, will be elected in his home city of Davao for the fifth time, confirming his family’s dominance over the Philippines’ third largest city—despite his pre-trial detention 7,000 miles away in the Hague, where he faces prosecution by the ICC.
Can he really rule from prison?
In Albania, as Reuters reported:
Prime Minister Edi Rama was on course for an unprecedented fourth term in office on Monday as partial results showed his Socialist Party with a commanding lead in Sunday's parliamentary election. The Socialist Party won 53% of the vote with 30% of ballots counted, far ahead of the opposition Democratic Party of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, which had 34%.
Pope Leo XIV wasted no time weighing in on the side of peace in his first mass, as Rory Carroll of The Times of London reported:
Pope Leo XIV has called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and pleaded for an end to global conflicts, which he likened to a “third world war in pieces”…The new pontiff urged an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza and the release of all hostages. He also welcomed the truce between India and Pakistan and referenced the end of the second world war in 1945.
How others see America
Habemas (Americanum) Papam ….
Just as John Paul II did to the Kremlin, Leo XIV has the capacity to do to MAGA world. When Karel Cardinal Wojtyla of Cracow took over as pope in 1979, as I chronicled this week in my latest Unleashed Memoir, his mission was to bring down communism as the scourge of his beloved Polish homeland and by extension the godless religion of the Kremlin. When the wall came down in Berlin and communism across the rest of Europe—and the Soviet empire disintegrated—the Polish pope was at the peak of his power and influence.
Now, along comes Leo XIV. He was not Donald Trump’s first choice. (His was New York’s Timothy Cardinal Dolan, whose cathedral rises majestically just a half dozen blocks south of Trump Tower.) But Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost was a surprise and, for most, a joy, though perhaps not for all of America’s most MAGA faithful. And here’s how, Wyborcza, Poland’s leading newspaper (whose motto is “There is no freedom without Solidarity,” remembering the labor movement that brought down the communist government), reflected on Leo’s opportunity:
Wyborcza’s Maciej Czarnecki cites a litany of references from the pope himself prior to his elevation. And if you wonder how well this American (born) pope is going to get along with the Trump administration, well you only really need to know what he’s thought about JD Vance….
A refrain that’s being spread far and wide, Wyborcza picking up actor-director Jon Favreau with his own message to his 1.3 million followers:
Indeed, at his first homily during his first mass, celebrated in the Sistine Chapel where he was elected, Leo XIV set out what he saw as his primary challenge—one that was immediately picked up across the world, as Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported:
“God has … entrusted this treasure to me so that, with his help, I may be its faithful administrator for the sake of the entire mystical Body of the Church,” he said. “He has done so in order that she may be ever more fully a city set on a hill, an ark of salvation sailing through the waters of history and a beacon that illumines the dark nights of this world,” he added.
It was a striking reflection of Ronald Reagan’s description in his farewell address of his vision of America being “that shining city upon a hill. I've spoken of the shining city all my political life [where] there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here.” It is a vision that seems so antithetical to any vision of Trump as America with walls around it, keeping the world at bay, but appears to be a vision deeply congruent with Pope Leo’s view of a world without boundaries.
Then there is Cardinal Prevost’s choice for his papal name. As our celebrated Substack friend Richard Galant observed in his Now It’s History:
Leo XIII was passionate about social justice, writing, “the first thing of all to secure is to save unfortunate working people from the cruelty of men of greed, who use human beings as mere instruments for money-making. It is neither just nor human so to grind men down with excessive labor as to stupefy their minds and wear out their bodies.”
And the YouTube video he discovered of Leo XIII…
Finally, here’s how the home town newspaper, the Rome daily La Repubblica welcomed the new leader of a billion Catholics:
American Prevost elected: “Thanks to Francis, we build bridges for peace.” Surprise visit to the palace where he lived, morning mass in the Sistine Chapel.
Robert Francis Prevost is the 267th pontiff in history, the first American, of Italian, French and Spanish origins, archbishop of Chicago, the city where he was born, missionary in Peru. “Peace be with you all,” were his first words as he looked out from the loggia of St. Peter’s, remembering Bergoglio. President Trump congratulated the new pontiff: “An honor for our country, I can’t wait to meet him.”
The 133 cardinals have found the successor of Pope Francis at the fourth ballot . The first smoke today, arriving around 11:50, was again black . Then at 18:08 the white smoke arrived . Ovation in St. Peter's Square, 150 thousand moved faithful and bells ringing for the first blessing. The Habemus Papam arrived at 19:13 from the Loggia of St. Peter's Basilica.
As for what he stands for, you could do no better than turn to Dennis Redmont, who as Associated Press bureau chief in Rome covered and traveled with no fewer than three popes…
People always said that you could never win as an American. But looking at his CV, you could see that he ticked all the boxes. He ticked the missionary box, the box of experience in the Vatican, as the person responsible for appointing bishops. He also has experience in the United States. He has degrees in theology and mathematics. He studied in Rome and in the US. He even gave an interview in which he said that, when he was in Peru, he could do electronics as well as maintenance in a garage. Besides, he never insisted on being American. And now it seems that he is an American 'export model', because he is also a citizen of Peru. But the most interesting thing is how he is managing the use of cultures. On the first day he spoke in Italian, Spanish and Latin. On the second day he spoke English only off the cuff. So he is measured, he is gentle, in that sense. And he will be cautious, because that has always been his profile. They say he is extremely intelligent. He has a degree in canon law, so he knows the regulations and theory of the church. And in his first speech, he spoke of synodality, which is a difficult word, but it is the participation of all the faithful, in addition to the leaders of the Catholic religion. It is the power to influence from the bottom up. Pope Leo XIV is a very simple person. I was told that some people from Chicago went to see him at the Vatican and he said, 'I don't know if I can be with you, because I am in the nine days of mourning', but at the end he showed up at the restaurant for dessert with an umbrella, walking alone down the street. And he knows Rome well, because he lived there for two years. He knows how to reconcile. One visual message he gave is the fact that he adopted the more formal dress of the popes, unlike Francis, who appeared on the balcony dressed only in white.
Upgrade to paid and join Dennis as our celebrity guest on Unleashed Conversation Friday May 23, live from his current home in Lisbon!
The election of Pope Leo XIV was one of remarkable rapidity as it turns out…especially looking back through history….
Still, La Repubblica’s Vatican reporter had a sense that something unprecedented just might be afoot even before the first ballot was cast with the black smoke that followed:
And then, there was the new pope’s first message from the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square….a message of peace….
Back down to earth….
We all know how much Donald Trump just hates being upstaged, so how could he ever have envisioned the white smoke from the Vatican chimney. Still, he gamely soldiered ahead, but even so managed to upstage himself eventually. Rob Crilly, chief US correspondent for The Telegraph of London began:
The occasion was a splashy trade deal with Britain, the first since Donald Trump triggered a tariff war as he looks to remake the global economy.
But an appearance from Lord Mandelson, the British ambassador to the US, technical questions about imports of chlorinated chicken and even a cameo—albeit by speakerphone—from Sir Keir Starmer were overshadowed by looming trade talks at the weekend with China. If Britain was the day’s big news, China was the context and climate—and probably the timing. Questions about talks with China dominated the hour-long press conference.
So when I asked him whether the discussions with London included efforts to wean the UK off its trade with China, he quickly pivoted to why the world will be better off once he gets an agreement over the line with Beijing to open the country up.
“That’ll be the greatest thing that ever happened to China. The people will be happier,” he said. “They’ll buy for less. They’ll see things that they never saw before … and it’ll really create great long-term peace.”
Mr Trump had revealed what the announcement was really all about. He is one step closer to a much bigger prize, and one that could define his presidency.
“I will tell you that China very much wants to make a deal,” said Mr Trump, from his position behind the gleaming Resolute Desk. “We’ll see how that works out.”
And then there he was a day later, negotiating against himself…
First, there was the South China Morning Post reporting Thursday:
China has warned that it will not sacrifice its principles to reach an agreement with the United States, as Beijing urged Washington to drop its tariffs ahead of their first trade talks since US President Donald Trump began ramping up duties on imports from the world’s second-biggest economy.
“China’s firm opposition to the US’ abuse of tariffs has been consistent. If the US truly wants to resolve issues through negotiations … it must show sincerity and be prepared to correct its wrongdoings, including removing unilateral tariffs,” said He Yadong, spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce, at a press conference on Thursday.
“[If the US] uses negotiations as a cover for continued coercion and pressure, China will by no means accept it.”
The remarks came hours after Trump denied he would lower import duties on Chinese products as a goodwill gesture even before discussions began—as reported by the SCMP‘s Kushboo Razdani in Washington:
US President Donald Trump has signalled he may lower tariffs on Chinese goods to 80 per cent from the current 145 per cent, as Chinese and American trade officials prepare to meet in Switzerland.
“80% tariff on China seems right,” he said in a social media post.
Trump added that the decision was “up to” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, without giving any further detail. It remained unclear whether the US president was suggesting temporary cuts, allowing time for negotiations, or a long-term arrangement.
Join Substack!
Ever thought of joining the ranks of Online creators—even Substackers? Here's your chance to learn a whole lot more about options and opportunities. Last Tuesday, David Andelman moderated an exciting panel on "Alternative Media Options" under the auspices of the Overseas Press Club of America….
It’s only a mid-term contest, with none of the nation’s leadership on the line, but still one fraught with potential for future disruption, as Aaron Mallari and Aries A. Arugay reported for Singapore’s Fulcrum.sg:
The May 2025 midterm elections in the Philippines are shaping up to be less of an informal referendum on the Marcos Jr administration and more of an expression of betrayal and loyalty. While President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr and Vice President Sara Duterte are not up for re-election, the race for the House of Representatives and half of the 24-member Senate will be their proxy battle for political power. The president and vice president have parted ways and endorsed different slates.
From campaigning together as the “UniTeam” in the 2022 presidential elections, Marcos Jr and Duterte’s rift is now clearly “open warfare”. The midterm elections will be a manifestation of a new round of pernicious polarisation inflicted by the ruling elites.
We’ll have results and fallout next Sunday, so stand by,
Special for the Paid !
Andelman Unleashed has unleashed new, (lightly) paid tiers. For new paid subscribers, an inscribed copy of my latest book, A Red Line in the Sand
Along with a weekly portfolio of cartoons, largely from Cartooning for Peace … and Friday a weekly live conversation with Andelman.
We took a break last Friday, while we made our way to Paris, but we'll be back next Friday, May 16, with another very special guest, live from Berlin:
Based in Berlin, for decades he has covered European affairs. A prize-winning author of five books on European politics and culture, Hockenos was a fellow at the American Academy in Berlin. He has served as a writer and editor at Foreign Policy, The Guardian Newsweekly, and Internationale Politik, and provides editorial services to think tanks, media, and publishing houses.
Few are better positioned to provide a perspective on a fragile Germany in these parlous times for Europe at large.
So do sign up here and get the zoom link to Andelman Unleashed Conversation … cheaper than a monthly mocha grande. This will also help us support great journalism across the globe.
How others view the World
Who can we trust?
If the world—no longer simply America—had a theme this weekend, that would be it…and a whole lot of that might have to do with Donald Trump and his plans for a Nobel Peace Prize (plan or aspiration, anyway). And in each of our four cases it might well boil down to: which comes first, talk or ceasefire.
India v. Pakistan v. Trump?
Trump pulled out all stops—especially the carrot (trade) if not the stick, as a leading New Delhi newspaper reported:
In this case, the ink was hardly dry on Trump Social’s boast before India Today was updating us:
But The Hindu was a bit more direct:
From the other side, a leading Pakistani daily has another perspective:
Kiev, Moscow, Istanbul … Putin, Zelensky, Trump…..and a lot of friends
Vladimir Putin tried to pull a Trump and upstage leaders of Britain, France, Germany, and Poland who made the long and hazardous journey to Kyiv to pledge their support, in a coalition they dubbed “the coalition of the willing,” as Le Monde reported:
The only problem is that Putin wants talks before truce….as Pravda itself observed:
Instead, Putin’s earlier session with Chinese leader Xi Jinping was trotted out as the warning signal from the Kremlin that Russia’s forces were hardly exhausted:
But in the end, all these efforts may only have cemented even further the new-look leadership of Europe—those who travel 10 hours by train across war-torn Ukraine that’s still under attack….
Ready, fire aim….in Geneva
Eight hours of discussion in the Swiss city between Americans and Chinese, and as The Guardian reported, Trump’s already trumpeting victory….
The US president praised the “very good” discussions and deemed them “a total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner”.
“We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business,” he posted on his Truth Social platform early on Sunday, adding: “GREAT PROGRESS MADE!!!” He did not elaborate on the progress….
China’s vice-premier, He Lifeng, met for about eight hours with US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, and US trade representative, Jamieson Greer, in their first face-to-face meeting since the world’s two largest economies heaped tariffs well above 100% on each other’s goods….
China’s official Xinhua news agency said in a commentary on Saturday that the US’s “reckless abuse of tariffs” had destabilised the global economic order, but added that the negotiations represented “a positive and necessary step to resolve disagreements and avert further escalation”. Economic analysts have low expectations of a breakthrough….
And then there’s Israel and Gaza and Yemen and beyond
Or as Zvi Bar’el reported in Israel’s Ha’aretz:
Trump, having realized the unfeasibility of the Gaza Riviera project and the mass transfer of two million Gazans, is back to the drawing board—and appears unlikely to settle for a limited U.S.-Arab operation to distribute humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. Despite objections from Netanyahu's governing coalition, Trump could very well lay down the framework for the day after the war, which would be based on the Egyptian proposal. In doing so, as with the handling of the Houthis, Iran and Syria, Trump could turn Gaza into 'his war'—one in which he sets the terms and expects obedience" – Zvi Bar'el
■ Several European airlines extended the suspension of flights to Israel that they put in place after a missile fired by Yemen's Houthis landed within the grounds of Ben-Gurion International Airport nearly a week ago.
That includes Delta, United, Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, and a half dozen others.
What’s new on ‘paid’?
And now, for our most highly valued, but lightly paid members, we'll wind up with a bonus gallery from cartoonists around the world riffing on the Pope, Trump and tutti quanti. But first, our valued partner and source of so many talented cartoonists, Cartooning for Peace, has an alert:
The Egyptian cartoonist has been imprisoned for eight months, his detainment renewed every 45 days, without any guarantees of his fundamental rights. Cartooning for Peace once again expresses its concern about the widespread, arbitrary detention of journalists.
A contributor to the independent news platform Al-Manassa, Mr. Omar is accused of "joining a terrorist group while being aware of its objectives, spreading and publishing rumors and false news and information, and abusing social media," without any evidence being presented. During a six-hour interrogation by the Supreme State Security Prosecution, he was asked whether his cartoons were intended to incite the public to violence. In the days before his arrest, Mr. Omar's cartoons had focused on the debt crisis and power outages in Egypt.
—Editing by Pamela Title
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Andelman Unleashed to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.
