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 again from Paris….with good news for the good guys in early results from Romania and Poland elections….see below!
To emphasize, we cover lots of ground….So, you may not want to read it all, but it's all here for you!
How others see America
So Trump’s back home from his threeZZ-day idyll in the Gulf….. but what did he leave behind and what exactly is he coming home to?
Le Monde quite accurately defined it all:
Trump in the Middle East or the doctrine of the 'deal’
The American strategy in the region seems in accord with the model of the Gulf monarchies, based on turnkey agreements and the promise of billions of dollars of investments.
But the Qatari gift of a new Air Force One, the lavish receptions and royal welcomes, were overshadowed within hours by a host of other disasters we will explore below—from Putin’s absence from Ukraine talks in Istanbul to Israel’s new massive ground and air invasion of Gaza.
But there was no absence of calumny visited on Trump from all sides. Take London’s The Guardian. Sandwiched between Zelensky and Gaza, on page one, there’s Bruce Springsteen at a packed, utterly enthusiastic concert in London: Scorn on the USA….
Unsurprisingly, Trump shot back, as the The Guardian continued:
Calling Springsteen “highly overrated … not a talented guy—just a pushy, obnoxious JERK”… ‘dumb as a rock,’ and couldn’t see what was going on, or could he (which is even worse!)? This dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT.
Cue the Marsh family….
So, then there’s the remarkable Marsh family of singers who have their own quite unique take from Britain of what’s transpiring in Trump’s America….this excerpt here, the full ditty below the fold for our value (lightly) paying subscribers:
Finally, there was trade …
In perhaps the most consequential moment in Trump’s Gulf swing, buried beneath the headlines of the Qataris’ Air Force One and the lavish welcoming ceremonies, was the president’s all but offhanded remarks about the future of his tariff war. As The Guardian picked up:
Trump says US will unilaterally set new tariff rates for scores of countries
Donald Trump has said the US will send letters to some of its trading partners to unilaterally impose new tariff rates, suggesting that Washington lacks the capacity to reach individual trade deals.
Highlighting the challenge for the White House to negotiate deals with scores of countries at once, Trump said it was “not possible to meet the number of people that want to see us”….[adding] “we have, at the same time, 150 countries that want to make a deal, but you’re not able to see that many countries.”
“At a certain point over the next two or three weeks, I think Scott [Bessent] and Howard [Lutnick] will be sending letters out essentially telling people—it will be very fair—but we’ll be telling people what they’ll be paying to do business in the United States,” he said.
It was not immediately clear whether the new tariffs would be in addition to what is already in place, or higher or lower adjustments.
Nor is it at all clear how America’s ‘trading partners’ will react to being dictated to rather than negotiated with.
At the same time, Peter A. Fischer commented in Neue Zürcher Zeitung :
For a long time, everything went well, but now something decisive has changed. Not only because Donald Trump has unleashed a trade war with China, for which the Geneva talks have only provided a welcome 90-day respite and some hope for a more constructive coexistence. But also because the world's two largest economic powers want to become more independent of each other for security reasons. This, in turn, has to do with the fact that the US increasingly sees China as a rival that threatens its supremacy. And this after decades of what was actually a surprisingly close relationship.
And then Melania’s statue went missing….
As the BBC reported it:
"Melania" appeared on the banks of the River Sava in July 2020, four months before her human inspiration left the White House.
Now, four months after the erstwhile Melanija Knavs resumed residence at Washington's most famous address, her larger-than-life-size avatar has apparently made an undignified exit from her Slovenian hometown, Sevnica.
All that remains of the massive bronze statue are the feet—and the two-metre-tall tree stump they were standing on.
This is not the first time a Melania Trump tribute has met a sticky end in Sevnica. The first iteration was unveiled in July 2019. Carved from a single piece of wood by a chainsaw-wielding local artisan called Ales "Maxi" Zupevc, it lasted a year before an unidentified perpetrator decided to turn it into a Fourth of July bonfire.
Local police say they are treating "Melania's" disappearance as "theft" and have launched an investigation.
This was a critical weekend in Europe as Romania went to the polls to determine just how close this eastern anchor of the European Union might plunge toward Russia, while Poland and Portugal voted in what was really a European ‘super Tuesday.’
In the most closely-watched Romanian vote, the moderate took a substantial early lead in exit polling as the daily România Liberǎ reported:
Nicușor Dan, clear favorite in the second round: almost 10 points ahead of George Simion
Independent candidate and Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan is credited with a substantial lead over his opponent, George Simion, the leader of [far-right, pro-Trump and pro-Putin] AUR, following the second round of the presidential elections. According to a survey conducted by AVANGARDE, based on data collected by 7:00 p.m., Nicușor Dan would have obtained 54.9% of the votes, while George Simion would have 45.1%.
Euronews took the issue even further and suggested some warnings:
The cliffhanger Romanian presidential election has transfixed and polarised the country. However, all is still in play due to the projection nature of exit polls and the unprecedented diaspora votes, which are not factored into these projections and could therefore still decide the race in which over 11 million Romanians voted (64% turnout).
According to the national projections by exit-pollsters Avangarde and Curs published by Euronews Romania, NATO’s Eastern flank country chose the pro-EU, pro-NATO candidate in a massive turnout marked by fear and resentment, overturning Simion’s lead in the first round.
In the last hours of the voting, the Romanian foreign, interior and defence ministries denounced what they called “Russian interference,” warning voters about a fake news campaign rolled out on Telegram, TikTok and other social media platforms. The Romanian foreign ministry spokesperson Andrei Tarnea said on X Sunday that “once again we see the distinctive signs of Russian interference (…) to influence the electoral process.
In a coordinated move, the three ministries revealed that a fake video published on Sunday “falsely claims that French troops in Romania secretly wear Romanian gendarmerie uniforms to intervene internally,” has been linked directly to Russia.
Much will depend, however, in the expected massive vote of as many as 1.5 million Romanians abroad in the diaspora.
Poland: on the front lines
The stakes are high but this is just the first round, the second taking place June 1. The Guardian suggested IN A LATE EVENING UPDATE .…. where we are headed in two weeks:
But, as Trzaskowski says in his immediate comments, the race is “very close.” In fact, it is much closer than anticipated. A win is a win tonight, but these results will make Trzaskowski’s team nervous ahead of the run-off in two weeks’ time.
Far-right libertarian Sławomir Mentzen is third with 15.4%, clearly capturing some of the disenchanted vote, as expected.
There is also a surprise in the fourth place: it’s ultra far-right candidate Grzegorz Braun—under probe for using a fire extinguisher to put out Hanukah candles in the Polish parliament—with 6.2%, well above the expectations and ahead of any of the left-wing candidates….
13 contenders were vying to be the country’s next head of state. Trzaskowski, a senior member of [liberal] prime minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition and Nawrocki, who is formally independent but has been endorsed by the former national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government, will advance to the 2nd round.
A win for the centrist would boost Tusk’s ability to push through his reformist agenda, which has been hampered by Polish presidents’ power to veto legislation passed by parliament. The outgoing president, Andrzej Duda, is a PiS ally.
The last thing Europe needs is another front-line state held hostage by the pro-Kremlin far right. Still, barely 2 points separate the two who’ll be going into the finals.
Portugal: back to the ballot box
Getting to be virtually an annual ritual in this nation, a unique one timezone—and perhaps decades—out of step with all the rest of continental Europe. The Guardian again on the stakes from today’s outcome here:
Portugal headed to the polls for its third snap general election in three years after the centre-right prime minister, Luís Montenegro, triggered and lost a confidence vote in parliament over questions about his family’s business activities.
Montenegro’s Democratic Alliance (AD) platform is forecast to finish first but fall short of a majority, and could struggle to form a government, especially if the Socialist party (PS), likely to finish second, keeps its pledge to oppose his legislative agenda.
Montenegro has vowed not to work with the far-right Chega, whose leader, former TV football pundit André Ventura, was hospitalised on Friday after twice collapsing at rallies, but could be replaced as party leader with someone more Chega-compatible.
And the early actual vote-count results look again like a hung parliament:
As Euronews reported:
Exit polls show the AD coalition leading with 32%, followed by the Socialist Party at 23%. Chega, a far-right party, is third with 22.5%. Abstention ranges from 36% to 42%.
Portugal's centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD/PSD-CDS) coalition is expected to have remained the strongest political force with 32% of the votes after the general election on Sunday, domestic exit polls showed.
The Socialist Party (PS) is projected to be in second place with 23%, with far-right party Chega in close third with 22.5%.
The rest of the parties include Iniciativa Liberal will have 6.5%, the Livre 4.7%, CDU 2.7%, the Bloco de Esquerda 2.5% and the PAN 1.3%.
The Catholic University's projection predicts abstention between 36% and 42%.
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Philippines: two families
More clearly than ever, this has become a nation ruled by two feuding families—and demonstrated no more clearly than by this week’s elections that left neither with the upper hand. Here’s how the BBC’s Joel Guinto put it:
Dominated by a fiery feud between two political dynasties, the Philippine mid-term elections have thrown up unexpected results that may shake President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr's hold on the senate.
Marcos allies have captured fewer senate seats than expected. Meanwhile his rival, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte who is detained in The Hague over his drug war that killed thousands, has been elected mayor of his family's stronghold. The fate of his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, who is facing an impeachment trial, remains in the balance.
It served as a proxy war between Marcos Jr and Sara Duterte, who were one-time allies. The senate race, where 12 seats were up for grabs, was closely watched as it affects Sara Duterte's trial, which she has called "political persecution". The popular vice-president, who is widely expected to run for president in 2028, is facing the prospect of a ban from politics, should a jury made up of senators vote to impeach her….
What complicates things is that it is still unclear how Marcos' allies in the senate will move on Sara Duterte's impeachment. Their loyalty can shift, as senators also balance their own interests and ambitions with their political allegiances.
Albania: back to the future
No worries in Tirana … veteran Socialist prime minister Edi Rama, a huge proponent of EU membership for his country on the corner of Europe, handily winning a fourth term as France 24 reported:
Edi Rama's Socialist Party [campaigning vigorously for integration with Europe]…won 52.1% of the vote compared with 34.2% for an alliance of opposition [right-wing] parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha.
The election was closely watched by the EU and seen as a test of the democratic maturity of the Balkan country, by far the most Europe-oriented in the [Balkan] region, after decades of dictatorship.
"The elections were managed generally in an inclusive and transparent manner, the election day being calm and well organised, despite some shortcomings," EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said in a joint statement.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated her friend Rama for his "reappointment as head of the Albanian government". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his British counterpart Keir Starmer also congratulated Rama on the election victory.
How others see the World
An empty chair: Where’s Waldo?
Actually, it’s Vlad who was absent. The Americans showed up, the Turks as the hosts, and the Ukrainians…but no Putin.
Volodymyr Zelinsky got a big welcome from his host, Recep Erdogan…
But as Donald Trump told the pool journalists traveling with him to the Middle East:
Look, nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together, ok? And obviously he wasn't going to go. He was going to go, but he thought I was going to go. He wasn't going if I wasn't there. And I don't believe anything's going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together. But we're going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying.
Now, the two are set to talk on Monday. Another moment for the world to hold its breath.
Another view from the front …
Ukraine is finding a way to prosper. Without the war, there’s no limit to what they might become—a bulwark for the EU, even NATO. The celebrity guest on our Friday zooomversation was Paul Hockenos, the veteran Berlin-based journalist recently returned from Ukraine with a stunning perspective:
Targeted by Russia: The Press
If you ever wanted to know just how badly Putin wanted to cover up the atrocities he’s committing in Ukraine, look no further than the atrocities he’s not-so-quietly visiting on journalists chronicling his military horrors. Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) in partnership with Ukraine’s Truth Hounds have documented these barbarities in a striking 70-page report….
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, both Ukrainian and foreign journalists have come under Russian fire — even in their hotels, which also function as their workspace. [This] new report documents these attacks, offences that amount to war crimes and must not go unpunished.
In just over three years—between 24 February 2022 and 15 March 2025—31 strikes by Russian armed forces hit 25 Ukrainian hotels, most of which were located in regions near the front line such as Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipro, Odessa, and Kyiv. Only one of these hotels was being used for military purposes; all the others housed civilians, including journalists. One media collaborator, Reuters’ safety advisor Ryan Evans, was killed during a strike on his hotel in August 2024 in Kramatorsk. In total, 25 journalists and media professionals have found themselves under these hotel bombings, and at least seven have been injured.
“The Russian strikes against hotels hosting journalists in Ukraine are neither accidental nor random. The targeted buildings are not ‘Ukrainian military bases,’ and the journalists inside are not ‘mercenaries,’ contrary to the disinformation narrative relentlessly pushed by all levels of the Russian state and pro-Kremlin outlets. These attacks are part of a larger strategy to sow terror and seek to reduce coverage of the war. By targeting civilian infrastructure, they violate international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes. Those responsible must be brought to justice.”
—Pauline Maufrais /RSF regional officer for Ukraine
“Russian attacks on hotels in Ukraine are systematic and deliberate, following a distinct internal logic and timing that sets them apart from many other strikes on civilian infrastructure. Given the nature of hotel guests during armed conflict in frontline regions - media professionals, aid workers - and the repeated, even escalating, intensity of these attacks, it suggests that the intention is not only to destroy the buildings, but to intimidate or harm those who stay in them.”
—Roman Koval / Truth Hounds Head of Research
And then there’s Gaza
As the front page of Le Monde put
GAZA Israel launches a massive land offensive
Tanks enter the enclave, prelude to a direct reoccupation of the territory
The latest attacks have left hundreds of victims, of which many are children
The Israeli daily Haaretz was even more direct and specific:
In a related update, Haaretz continued:
But what about oil ?
Oil prices are plunging and at least some of the world is holding its collective breath, as Le Monde‘s Adrien Pécot explored this week:
Never in four years have oil prices fallen as low as they have in recent weeks. From OPEC's strategy to the decisions of US President Donald Trump, downward pressure is powerful, and the World Bank predicts crude oil will fall to $60 per barrel by 2026. This new state of the market has multiple and major effects.
Black gold has been in a downward phase for several weeks. This is being fueled by two parallel and powerful phenomena: on the one hand, the sluggishness of the global economy, stunned by the US escalation of customs duties, and, on the other, the desire of OPEC to launch a price war.
A third factor has been added: signs of easing tensions in the Middle East. Late Thursday morning, May 15, Brent crude oil was down about 4% (to nearly $64) compared to the previous day. The trigger: a statement by Donald Trump during his tour of the Gulf. According to the American president, his country and Tehran are "moving closer" to an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program , which would likely ease sanctions on the Islamic Republic's oil, and thus inject even more black gold into the world by facilitating the country's exports. This parameter remains fragile, however. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtchi indicated on Friday that Tehran had not received a "written proposal" from the United States regarding the nuclear issue, which caused crude oil prices to rebound.
“Oil prices are expected to fall by more than a quarter by 2026, according to the World Bank's April forecast," reports economist Phillip Kenworthy, who works for this institution. And this new state of affairs can only have major consequences ….five OPEC members (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Algeria) and three of their allies (Russia, Kazakhstan, and Oman) announced production increases three times greater than expected. That's 411,000 additional barrels per day starting in May.
Russia especially has little recourse. It has little else to sell beyond oil to fuel its war machine. And a shrinking market, to boot.
What’s new on ‘paid’?
Now, for our most highly valued, but lightly paid, members ... the full version of the Marsh Family’s latest….smuggling rare parrot eggs to Hong Kong….wild horses migrating between China & North America 50,000 years ago over a land bridge that could appear again….full video of our Friday zooomversation … winding up with a bonus gallery from cartoonists around the world riffing on Trump’s Gulf idyll, and tutti quanti courtesy of Cartooning for Peace and Le Monde….
—Editing by Pamela Title
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