Why Obama’s visit to Athens is not just about Greek debt

After a year of populist shocks, from Britain’s vote to leave the European Union to Trump’s surprise victory last week and the rise of anti-migrant movements in Europe, Obama cautioned against succumbing to divisive instincts.

Air Force One touched down midmorning in Athens after an overnight flight from Washington.

Party leader Panayiotis Lafazanis also blamed the USA for Greece’s economic woes.

He is then due to travel to Peru, where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Pacific leaders at an economic summit. “NATO, the world’s greatest alliance, is as strong and as ready as it’s ever been”, Obama said in an address to the Greek people Wednesday. Yet they may be greeted with skepticism: For months throughout the campaign, Obama repeatedly assured world leaders in public and private that Trump would not be elected, only to see him emerge victorious from last week’s election.

The left-wing government in Greece has commended Obama’s visit as a clarification of its efforts to deliver social justice and keep society stable.

But Obama noted that Trump has recognized the “anger and fear in the American population” over the effects of globalization. “I thought it was very appropriate for us to visit a great country that is the birthplace of democracy, the source of so numerous ideals and values that helped to build America, and an outstanding friend and ally”, Obama said.

He once again voiced his support to the Greek government’s request to worldwide lenders for an imminent debt relief to ensure that the Greek debt load would be sustainable.

President Barack Obama is getting an up-close look at the Acropolis, the famed ancient citadel in Athens. But, he said, “democracy is bigger than any one person”. From the hilltop, Obama could look out in almost every direction at sprawling Athens.

He said his team would work with that of the President-elect over the next two months to ensure a smooth transition of power. He gave a speech Wednesday after touring the Acropolis, the complex of monuments known as the “cradle of democracy”, in which he said democracy was “complicated” and “messy” but created to correct mistakes. He adds, “Even if your candidate doesn’t always win”.

The previous day, Obama advocated for debt relief from Europe and an end to austerity-only measures to help the economy recover, though it’s not clear where Trump will stand on those issues when he assumes office next year.

Police have banned public gatherings in central Athens and near the city’s global airport until after Mr Obama’s departure on Wednesday.

The president earlier offered the Greeks reassuring words about the USA commitment to NATO, saying Democratic and Republican administrations alike recognize the importance of the alliance to the trans-Atlantic relationship.

Article 5 of the Nato treaty commits allies to come to the aid of a member state under attack.

United States president Barack Obama has warned against what he terms a rise in “crude nationalism”. Obama is in Athens for talks with the country’s political leadership before heading to Berlin as part of his last major trip overseas.

Mr Obama said part of the result was down to “natural desires for change if you’ve had an incumbent who’s been there for eight years”.

He says, “these yearnings are universal”.

The U.S. president lingered at the base of the Parthenon, gazing at the columns and glancing around at the panoramic view of Athens as he chatted with his guide, Eleni Banou of the Culture Ministry’s antiquities division.