On his swan-song tour of European allies, President Obama encountered more resentment and opposition Sunday in countries that once embraced him enthusiastically.
Facing heated opposition at home and abroad to his proposed trade deals, Mr. Obama defended international free trade as he tried to win support in Germany for an economic agreement between the U.S. and the European Union.
Arriving in Hanover, Germany, a day after 35,000 people demonstrated in the streets against his trade proposal, Mr. Obama said the opposition has arisen because “people are unsettled by globalization.”
“When people visibly see a plant lost or jobs lost, the narrative drives a lot of suspicion about these trade deals,” the president said. “If you look at the benefits for our economies, they are indisputable.”
Speaking at a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mr. Obama said trade has brought tremendous benefits and more jobs. He said it was necessary to complete the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement because 95 percent of markets are outside the U.S.
But Mr. Obama acknowledged that he has run out of time to win ratification of the trade agreement. At home, it’s uncertain whether Congress will approve this year of his cherished Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free trade pact covering the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim nations.
The Republican and Democratic front-runners for president, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, both oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The president arrived in Germany from London, where he encountered loud criticism for meddling in Britain’s June referendum on whether to remain in the European Union. Mr. Obama warned the British that they would be “at the back of the queue” on trade deals with the U.S. if they severed ties with the union.
His comment provoked anger and resentment.
London newspapers chastised Mr. Obama for his “amazing threat” and for lecturing the British people amid calls for him to “butt out” of their referendum debate.
In Germany, only one in five people supports the TTIP agreement, and Mr. Obama still faces lingering animosity over revelations that the U.S. was spying on Ms. Merkel and other Germans in its counterterrorism activities.
There is fierce opposition to TTIP in Germany — Europe’s largest economy and most important political voice — saying the pact would erode consumer and environmental protections for more than 800 million people.
Tens of thousands marched in Hanover on Saturday against the proposed deal, carrying placards with slogans such as “Yes We Can — Stop TTIP.”
Trade unions, nationalists and green groups have lobbied hard against the deal, claiming it would drive down wages and erode consumer protection and environmental standards.
The discussions, due to resume Monday in New York, have come under criticism for the secretive manner in which they have been conducted. National lawmakers are allowed to view draft documents only in special reading rooms and are forbidden from talking about the documents with analysts, the media or their constituents.
Despite all that, Mr. Obama said, “The majority of people still favor trade. They still recognize, on balance, that it’s a good idea.
“It is indisputable that it has made our economy stronger,” the president said about international trade.
He said he was confident that the trans-Atlantic trade deal could be completed, if not ratified, by the end of the year. Once U.S. presidential politics settle down, he said, the trans-Pacific pact can “start moving forward.”
Presidents regularly use their last year of foreign travel for sometimes sentimental stopovers in international capitals. The trips can attract attention while voters at home are distracted by the race for the next president. For Mr. Obama, they provide a last chance to capitalize on his relatively resilient popularity abroad.
There are limits to what Mr. Obama can accomplish on his farewell tour.
“I can give you one iron law: The president cannot shape his legacy. And he certainly can’t shape it on the basis of trips, public relations and White House press statements in this last year in office,” said Anthony Cordesman, a foreign policy analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “But every president I can think of during my adult life has tried.”
At an annual international trade show in Hanover, Mr. Obama lobbied for the TTIP in a speech before top business executives. He said the trade agreement would “cut red tape” and “help lift the fortunes of our people.”
“I know that trade can evoke great emotions,” Mr. Obama said. “The answer is not to pull up the drawbridge and stop trade. TTIP will not lower standards. It will raise standards even higher. The time to complete TTIP is now.”
Under fire at home for his program to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees this year, Mr. Obama also said he is proud of Ms. Merkel and the German people for accepting far more migrants from the war-torn country.
In response to a reporter’s question noting that Mr. Trump has called Ms. Merkel’s open-door refugee policy “insane,” Mr. Obama defended her at a joint press conference in Hanover.
“In Europe, she is on the right side of history on this,” Mr. Obama said. “I’m very proud of her for that, and I”m very proud of the German people for that.”
The president added, “For her to take on some very tough politics in order to express not just a humanitarian concern but a practical concern that in this globalized world, it is very difficult for us to simply build walls, she is giving voice to the kinds of principles that I think bring people together rather than divide them.”
Germany accepted about a half-million refugees from Syria last year alone, a policy that has caused significant tensions in the country. Congress, many governors and Republican presidential candidates have criticized Mr. Obama for taking in the refugees, citing security and terrorism concerns.
Ms. Merkel has advocated the creation of “safe zones” inside Syria to protect refugees and slow the mass migration. Mr. Obama opposes the move, saying it would require a large deployment of ground forces to enforce, although he noted that a cease-fire that collapsed was aimed at creating safe havens in certain regions of the country.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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