After the ups and downs of the election of the 46^th President and the turmoil experienced by the Americans in recent years under the mandate of Donald Trump, Inauguration Day, marking the moment Joe Biden takes up his post, is attracting everyone’s attention. Edgar Bellow, Professor of International Management and Geopolitics at NEOMA Business School, shares his take on this historic day and its consequences for the United States and for the world.

The severance

A very dangerous, high-risk day? Washington like an entrenched bunker? Not at all! This 20 January 2021 is a day of severance – a deep and lasting severance to move towards something very different from the last four years of a chaotic and unstable Presidency.

The United States are back again, Joe Biden is replacing Donald Trump. The Biden administration will have a free hand over the next two years to carry out the projects of the American Democrat party and also of all the Americans who are handing him power today.

“I want to move quickly from the 20 January and throughout my first 100 days that will define my Presidency,” declared recently President-Elect Joe Biden who has promised to serve only one mandate and will leave his Vice-President Kamala Harris with the opportunity to ensure the continuity of their policies, to reassure an America still questioning its values and its place in a newly challenging world.

Joe Biden will watch over an America in recession, ready to bounce back with future actions from this very day. The decrees that will be issued on this day will focus on the fight against Covid-19, that against climate change, the relaunch of the economy and the struggle for social and racial justice.

The renewal of international relations

Recommitting the United States to the Paris Agreement from the first day of his Presidency will bring Joe Biden and the renewed United States closer to their allies and the signatory countries. His Chief of Staff, Ron Klain, emphasised that Joe Biden intended to annul the presidential decree authorising the Keystone XL pipeline that crosses the Canadian border thanks to a new presidential decree, from the first day of his mandate, which could put an end to this very divisive project and delight champions of the environment.

What we are interested in in Europe, and especially in France, are international and geopolitical relations. In any case, there will be no more insults but lots of politeness and quite a firm tone towards all those who might seek to violate international law or oppose multilateralism.

The foundations of a new America

Despite looking like an entrenched camp on this 20 January, Washington is now showing that the changing outlook of the United States is under way.

Beyond symbols, fundamentals of American politics, and the new doctrine, a real change is in progress. The foundations of a new America are being drawn up right now. With male-female parity and real representation of all sectors of American society in his government, President Biden can allow himself to talk about rebuilding the country, reconciliation, the pride and unity of Americans. Unity? Wasn’t that the dream of a speech by a certain Martin Luther King Jr.?

This Presidency will not be easy bearing in mind the health, political and social context. But we should take heart because from 20 January we have professionals and policy experts in charge

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