This starts right after the conclusion of his speech at the town hall, as we wrote earlier.
Please -- thank you. Thank you! Thank you.
Please, everybody, have a seat. So the way this works -- do we have microphones in the audience? Yes? So just raise your hand if you want a question, and I will call on you.
I think we have some translators. If you want to speak French or German, my French and German are terrible -- but we have people who speak very good French and very good German who will translate your question and translate my answer. And I will try to get as many questions as I can get in in the remaining 20 minutes or so that we have.
And I will start with this young lady right here. Yes, you. Right there. Please introduce yourself.
Q (Off mike.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hold on. I can't hear you yet. Can we -- can we increase the sound on the mike? Let's try again.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. (Off mike.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Oh, I called -- now, I just want to say I did not call on the American on purpose. So --
Q (Off mike.) I'm going to ask, Mr. President, (inaudible) look forward -- (inaudible) -- your vision for the future? And I would like to know what you envision your legacy or the legacy of your administration to be when your presidency is over.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, after only two months, that's kind of a big question.
But -- but here's -- here's what I would like to see -- and -- look, you -- you aim high, knowing that you'll make mistakes and sometimes you'll fall short.
Number one, my first task, is to restore the economy of the United States, but, in concert with other nations, to restore global economic growth. That's my number-one task, because we are going through the worst crisis since the 1930s.
That means that not only do we have to fix the banking system, put common-sense regulations in place to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again; making sure that we are keeping trade relationships between countries open. But it also means helping developing countries and poor countries who, through no fault of their own, have been devastated by this crisis and, if we allow them to collapse, will ultimately be a drag on our ability to prosper.
You know, emerging markets have actually been the drivers of economic growth over the last several years.
They -- if we can get millions of Chinese to prosper, that is ultimately good for us. If we can get all the Indians in poverty to suddenly be able to buy a refrigerator or send their children to college, that will raise everybody's living standards, because those will be enormous new markets for all of us.
So -- so what I want to be able to do is not only fix the immediate crisis, but, working in partnership with other countries, create a path for sustainable, responsible growth. And I think we can do that.
You know, there are a lot of people who benefit from globalization, but there are also people who have been harmed by globalization. Globalization, in and of itself, can be good, but can also be destructive. If we create the right framework so that what happened in the banking system can't happen again, then globalization can be good for everybody and lift everybody's living standards up.
And by the way, history has shown us that we are most vulnerable to war and conflict when people are desperate economically. And, you know, nobody knows that history more than Europe.
So that'd be number one.
Number two is I would like to be able to say that, as a consequence of my work, that we drastically lessened the threat of not only terrorism, but also nuclear terrorism. And we can't reduce the threat of a nuclear weapon going off unless those who possess the most nuclear weapons -- the United States and Russia -- take serious steps to actually reduce our stockpiles. So we are going to -- so we want to pursue that vigorously in the years ahead. And I had an excellent meeting with President Medvedev of Russia to get started that process of -- of reducing our nuclear stockpiles; which will then give us greater moral authority to say to Iran, "Don't develop a nuclear weapon," to say to North Korea, "Don't proliferate nuclear weapons."
In my own country, what I think is very important is that we finally get a health care system that is reliable and cost-effective. That's something that -- you know, that's a social safety net that exists in almost all of Europe, that doesn't exist in the United States.
You have millions of people who work hard every single day, but if they get sick, they could potentially lose everything. And in a country as wealthy as ours, that's not acceptable to me.
So we are going to work hard to make sure that we have a health care system that won't be identical to what you have in Europe -- each country has its own traditions and approaches -- but that provides people quality affordable, accessible health care.
And then I would like to see us in the United States take the lead on a new approach to energy, because none of the developed countries are going to be able to sustain their growth if we don't start using energy differently, and the world cannot survive all countries using energy in the same ways that we use it.
Yeah, I was meeting with the Indian prime minister yesterday, after the summit, a very good and wise man, Prime Minister -- Prime Minister Singh. And he was talking about how Indian growth rates have gone up 9 percent every year. They need to grow at that pace in order to bring hundreds of millions of people in their country out of abject poverty, desperate poverty.
Right? They have to grow at a rapid pace.
Now, he actually is committed to working towards dealing with the climate-change issue. But he made a very simple point, which is a point that I understood before the meeting and all of us should not forget. And that is that you cannot expect poor countries or relatively poor countries to be partners with us on climate change if we are not taking the lead, given that our carbon footprint is many times more than theirs per capita.
I mean, each one of us in the -- in the developed world, I don't care how environmentally conscious you are, how green you are -- and I'm sure there are some green folks here --
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yeah!
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Yes! I don't care how green you are, you are -- you have a much bigger carbon footprint than the average Indian or the average person from China.
And so we in developed countries, then, it's critical for us to lead by example by becoming more energy efficient. And we also have to harness technology and share scientific breakthroughs in order to find more sustainable energy patterns.
Now, I've got other things that I want to do, but that's a pretty long list. Let me go on to some -- a few more questions.
All right. Now, I know there are some other Americans in the crowd -- but do me a favor, Americans; wait till we get back home, and I'll do a town hall there, because I -- because I want -- I want to hear from my French and German and European friends.
All right. And -- where, where, where -- this gentleman right here in the glasses.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. My name is Matthias Kutsch. I'm a student from Heidelberg, Germany. And my mother tongue is German, but my French is not good enough, so I ask my question in English.
You mentioned in your speech that we are a lucky generation; we live in peace, we live in democracies and free states. And we are very pleased to have this situation in Europe. But this is not the case all over the world, even not in Europe. Look to Belarus, for example. There's an autocratic regime.
And so my question concerns the many children all over the world that live in poverty, under human rights violations.
They have hunger. They have no education and other problems. So what is your strategy, Mr. President, to solve this problem?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, it's an excellent question. And the -- first of all, I think one of the things that we should be very proud of, from the G-20 summit yesterday, was that we made a significant commitment to additional resources through the IMF and other mechanisms to provide assistance to emerging markets and poor countries that, as I said, are bearing the burden of a collapse in the financial system that they had nothing to do with.
The problem is so many of these countries had export-oriented markets. And when the economies contracted in our developing nations, it made them extremely vulnerable. You know, you have a country like Botswana, which is actually a well-managed country that has made enormous progress. But their main revenue generator is diamond sales. And they have literally seen the diamond market collapse, in part because they couldn't get trade financing, in part because the demand in developed countries has -- has dropped off.
So we started to make progress there. Our most important task right now is helping them get through this crisis. Over the long term, though, we've got to have a strategy that recognizes that the interest of the developed world in feeding the hungry, in educating children, that that's not just charity; it's in our interests.
There is not a direct correlation between poverty and violence and conflict and terrorism, but I can tell you that if children have no education whatsoever, if young men are standing idle each and every day and feel completely detached and completely removed from the modern world, they are more likely, they are more susceptible to ideologies that appeal to violence and destruction.
If you have no health facilities whatsoever in countries in Africa, these days a pandemic can get on a plane and be in Strasbourg or New York City or Chicago overnight. So we better think about making sure that there are basic public health facilities and public health infrastructure in those countries, because we can't shield ourselves from these problems.
So that means developed countries have to increase aid. But it also means that the countries who are receiving aid have to use it wisely.
And my father was from Kenya, and when I traveled to Kenya, I had just been elected to the United States Senate. Everybody was very excited and, you know, they greeted me and -- you know, as if I was already a head of state. And, you know, there were people waving and lining the streets. I went to speak at a university, and I had to be honest, which was, America has an obligation to provide Kenya help on a whole range of issues. But if Kenya doesn't solve its own corruption problem, then Kenya will never grow. It will never be able to provide for its own.
And so there's nothing wrong with the developed nations insisting that we will increase our commitments; that we will design our aid programs more effectively; that we will open up our markets to trade from poor countries -- but that we will also insist that there's good governance and rule of law and other critical factors in order to make these countries work.
We spend so much time talking about democracy. And obviously, we should be promoting democracy everywhere we can.
But democracy, a well-functioning society that promotes liberty and equality and fraternity, a well-functioning society does not just depend on going to the ballot box. It also means that you're not going to be shaken down by police because the police aren't getting properly paid. It also means that if you want to start a business, you don't have to pay a bribe. I mean, there are a whole host of other factors that -- that people, you know, need to -- need to recognize in building a civil society that allows a country to be successful. And -- and hopefully that will -- that approach will be reflected not just in -- in my administration's policies but in the policies that are pursued by international agencies around the world.
Okay. Good.
All right. Right up -- right -- well, I've got -- I've got two of you. So you have to choose one. Which one should I call on? I don't want to -- ah, you're standing right next to each other.
Q (Off mike.)
Q (Off mike.)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Oops. Well, I'm sorry. You know what? He actually called on -- no, no, no, I -- I was actually pointing down here. I didn't see those two ladies back there. Here you go. This one right here. Go ahead.
Q Well, hello, Mr. President. I'm sorry. I'm from Chicago.
Excuse me.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Are you?
Q I'm also a student in the high school -- the International High School of Pontonniers. So --
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, no, I'm sorry. If you're American, I can't --
Q I'm French. I'm also French.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold on. She says she also French.
Q Yes.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: What does that mean?
Q Double nationality.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Dual nationality.
Q Yeah.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: What do you think? Should we let her ask the question? Okay, go ahead.
Q Thank you. Do you think that the economic crisis is an opportunity to restructure our industries in an ecological and sustainable way? And also was wondering whether the dog was already in the White House or not.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: The -- we -- we are getting a dog. This is a very important question in the United States, what kind of dog we're getting and when we're getting it. It should be there soon.
I do think that in -- in crisis, there's always opportunity, if it's used properly. So for example, in the United States, we decided to pass a large stimulus package to help growth at a time when, you know, the private sector was having a very bad -- difficult time.
Now, we could have just spent the money on the same old ways of doing things. But part of what we decided was if we're going to be spending a lot of government money anyway, why not spend it to double the amount of renewable energy? Why not spend it on retrofitting existing government buildings so that we drastically reduce their energy consumption?
Why not start building high-speed rail? One thing that, as an American who is proud as anybody of my country -- I am always jealous about European trains. And I said to myself, why can't we have -- why can't we have high-speed rail? And -- and so we're investing in that, as well.
So on the transportation front, on -- with respect to building construction, on a whole range of issues, we are investing in new technologies that will make us more energy efficient. And that is one of the building blocks that's needed in order for us to reduce our carbon footprint and to work with other countries to achieve the climate change goals that I think are going to be so important.
I'm getting the signal that I've only got time for two more questions. Oh! I'm going to -- I'm going to ask that young man in the suit -- you know, 'cause he got dressed up today. I know he doesn't usually wear a suit. Yes? Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q I just want to know, well, what do you expect from the French and the European countries regarding the war on terror?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good. That's a good question.
Look -- I think that over the last seven, eight years, as I said in my speech, a lot of tensions have developed between the United States and Europe. And one of the legacies, I hope, for my administration, is -- is that we start bringing our historic alliance back together in a much more effective way.
Now, that doesn't mean that we're not going to have honest disagreements. All countries have disagreements between themselves. But I think that we can work much more effectively and cooperatively and maintain that core trust that we have towards each other.
Nowhere have we seen more suspicion than around questions of war and peace and how we respond to terrorism. When 9/11 happened, Europe responded as a true friend would respond to the United States, saying, "We all -- we are all Americans."
All of us have a stake in ensuring that -- innocent people who are just going about their business, going to work suddenly find themselves slaughtered -- all of us have an interest in preventing that kind of vicious, evil act.
But after the initial NATO engagement in Afghanistan, we got sidetracked by Iraq, and we have not fully recovered that initial insight that we have a mutual interest in ensuring that organizations like al Qaeda cannot operate.
And I think that it is important for Europe to understand that even though I'm now president and George Bush is no longer president, al Qaeda is still a threat, and that we cannot pretend somehow that because Barack Hussein Obama got elected as president, suddenly everything's going to be okay.
It is going to be a very difficult challenge. Al Qaeda is still bent on carrying out terrorist activity. It is -- you know, don't fool yourselves because some people say, "Well, you know, if we changed our policies with respect to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or if we were more respectful to the Muslim world, suddenly these organizations would stop threatening us."
That's just not the case.
It is true that we have to change our behavior in showing the Muslim world greater respect and changing our language and changing our tone. It is true that we have to work very hard for Israeli- Palestinian peace. But what is also true is that these organizations are willing to kill innocent people because of a twisted, distorted ideology. And we, as democracies and as people who value human life, can't allow those organizations to operate.
So here's -- here's the bottom line. The United States has reviewed and redesigned its approach to Afghanistan. We believe that we cannot just win militarily. We have to win through development aid. We have to win through increasing the capacity of the Afghan government to provide basic services to its people and to uphold rule of law. We have to work with the Pakistani government so that they are more trusted by their population and have more control, so that they can then go -- help us go after these terrorists. We have to encourage diplomacy in the region.
So it can't just be a military strategy, and we will be partnering with Europe on the development side and on the diplomatic side.
But there will be a military component to it. And Europe should not simply expect the United States to shoulder that burden alone. We should not, because this is a joint problem, and it requires joint effort.
One -- one last point I will make. In dealing with terrorism, we can't lose sight of our values and who we are. That's why I closed Guantanamo. That's why I made very clear that we will not engage in certain interrogation practices.
I don't believe that there is a contradiction between our security and our values. And when you start sacrificing your values, when you lose yourself, then over the long term that will make you less secure.
When we saw what happened in Abu Ghraib, that wasn't good for our security; that was a recruitment tool for terrorism. Humiliating people is never a good strategy to battle terrorism.
[...]
Michelle definitely asked that question.
You know, there are -- there have been times, certainly during the campaign, and there have been times over the last several months, where you feel a lot of weight on your shoulders. There's no doubt about it.
During the campaign, the biggest sacrifice, the thing that was most difficult, was that I was away from my family all the time. You know, in addition to missing -- in addition to being jealous about high-speed rail and the nice trains here, I -- I'm also jealous of the fact that campaigns here only last a few months, whereas in the United States we were running for two years.
So I was away from home all the time. And that was very difficult, because not only do I have a wonderful wife, but I have two perfect daughters. And so, you know, I missed them a lot.
But -- but the nice thing is, now that I'm president, it turns out I have this really nice office in my house called the Oval Office, and so -- it only takes me a few seconds to get -- get upstairs, and I'm home for dinner every night. You also lose privacy and autonomy -- or anonymity. You know, it's very frustrating now -- you know, it used to be when I came to Europe that I could just wander down to a cafe and sit and have some wine and watch people go by, and, you know, go into a little shop, and watch the sun go down. And now I'm in hotel rooms all the time. And I have security around me all the time. And so just, you know, losing that ability to -- to just take a walk, you know, that is something that is frustrating.
But having said all that, I truly believe that there's nothing more noble than public service. Now, that doesn't mean that you have to run for president. But, you know, you might -- you know, you might work for Doctors Without Borders, or you might volunteer for an agency, or you might, you know, be somebody working for the United Nations, or you might be the mayor of Strasbourg.
Right? I mean, they're all -- you might volunteer in your own community.
But the point is that what I found at a very young age was that if you only think about yourself -- how much money can I make; what can I buy; you know, how nice is my house; what kind of fancy car do I have -- that over the long term, you -- I think you get bored. I think your life -- I think your life becomes -- I think if you're only thinking about yourself, your life becomes diminished and -- and that the way to live a full life is to think about, what can I do for others? How can I be a part of this larger project of making a better world?
Now, that can be something as simple as making -- of -- as the joy of taking care of your family and watching your children grow and -- and succeed.
But I think especially for the young people here, I hope you also consider other ways that you can serve, because the world has so many challenges right now. There are so many opportunities to make a difference. And it would be a tragedy if all of you who are so talented and energetic, if you let that go to waste, if you just stood back and -- and watched the world pass you by.
Better to jump in, get involved. And it does mean that sometimes you'll get criticized, and sometimes you'll fail, and sometimes you'll be disappointed. But you'll have a great adventure, and at the end of your life, hopefully you'll be able to look back and say, "I made a difference."
All right. Thank you, everybody.
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