BERLIN, July 22. /TASS/. Incumbent US President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race is an important event for both Europe and Germany, Michael Link, the German government’s coordinator of transatlantic cooperation, said in an interview with Tagesspiegel.
"Above all, this is a move which deserves the greatest respect. He placed the well-being of his country above his own. Joe Biden’s departure is a profound turning point for Germany and Europe," Link said. According to him, Biden "was [Germany’s] particularly close partner and will remain as such until the end of his presidential term." "Quite possibly, there has never been a US president who, due to his ties, has ever taken EU institutions and the old continent as a whole so seriously," the politician stressed.
That said, he noted that the German government is bracing for a number of election outcomes. "Biden’s departure will not change anything. We cannot and don’t want to influence the US election and will work with whoever is in the White House next year," Link stressed.
On July 21, Biden said that he is not going to run for the re-election, having supported the nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential post as the Democratic candidate. The incumbent president noted that he intends to stay in office until the end of his term which expires on January 20, 2025. According to his remarks, he plans to make an official statement on the matter soon.
The US presidential election is slated for November 5. It was planned that Biden would represent the Democratic party in the presidential election with his nomination expected to be approved at the national convention in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19-22. However, following his humiliating performance during his debate with Republican Donald Trump on June 27, calls to abandon his re-election bid, including from his own party, intensified.