Us Joe Momentous Coveney: Is Biden's Victory Simon For All

Sun, 08 Nov, 2020 - 18:02

Simon Coveney

Joe Biden’s victory in this year’s US election is momentous for the president-elect himself but also the Irish-American community.

In Ireland, we are incredibly proud of Mr Biden.

He is a respected statesman with a distinguished career. He has suffered tragedy and loss and has responded with remarkable courage.

He is a man of faith and along with his wife, Dr Jill Biden, is about to take on a role that will need all of their strength.

A team of historians and researchers will not be necessary to find Mr Biden’s links to Ireland, the man himself has worn his heritage on his sleeve.

He knows who he is, sometimes he has even jokingly forgotten the “American” bit, like when he told the BBC earlier this year: “I’m Irish”.

Biden urges unity and turns to business of transition

President-elect Biden will move into the White House in late January. He is already surrounded by passionate Irish-Americans and we would hope many will feature prominently in his administration.

Daunting task

Mr Biden’s task is daunting.

The world is still scrambling to deal with Covid, climate change threatens the future of humanity, and multilateralism is being fundamentally undermined by nationalism, representing the greatest instability since the Second World War.

On top of that, the US, a beacon for so many around the globe, is deeply divided.

Tens of millions of people voted for Donald Trump and so president-elect Biden’s most immediate task will be to reach across that divide.

The Irish peace process is one of the most successful US foreign policy initiatives of the last 30 years. Mr Biden has shown unwavering support for that process time and time again.

It will remain a priority for him in the White House.

Peace process

He has also shown a particular interest in protecting the peace process in the face of Brexit.

Ireland has changed since the era of Kennedy. Having an Irish-American in the Oval Office will not only be about asking for help, but also giving help to a president with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Ireland will be a partner in so many of the global challenges facing this Biden-Harris administration.

Oh, and it is a given that Joe Biden will be asked to visit Ireland at the earliest opportunity in his presidency. It will be a homecoming for the history books.

Simon Coveney is Minister for Foreign Afffairs