Death: Worldwide mourning for former US President Jimmy Carter

Heads of state and government around the world have expressed their sadness over the death of former US President Jimmy Carter. US President Joe Biden and his designated successor Donald Trump praised Carter as a man who improved the lives of many. With compassion and moral clarity, he campaigned for the eradication of disease, peace, the promotion of civil and human rights, free and fair elections, the homeless and the poorest, said Biden.

According to his foundation, Carter died on Sunday at the age of 100 in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family. He leaves behind four children, eleven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. “My father was a hero – not just to me, but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and selfless love,” the foundation quoted Carter’s son Chip as saying. Public funeral ceremonies are planned in Atlanta and the US capital Washington. The Empire State Building in New York was lit in red, white and blue in honor of Carter.

Biden praised Carter as a “man of great character and courage, hope and optimism.” In a statement he wrote of Carter: “He saved, improved and changed the lives of people around the world.” Biden declared January 9 a national day of mourning and ordered the US flag at the White House and flags at all government buildings, military installations and embassies abroad to be flown at half-mast for 30 days. Biden said he would also order a state funeral to take place in the capital, Washington.

Lost election to Reagan

After his first term in office from 1977 to 1981, Democrat Carter was not re-elected. He lost the election against Republican Ronald Reagan. In 2002, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his “decades of commitment to the peaceful resolution of international conflicts.”

Carter’s term in office was overshadowed by the hostage-taking of diplomats at the US embassy in Tehran in 1979 and the failed liberation mission the following year. After leaving the presidency, Carter and his wife Rosalynn founded the Carter Center in Atlanta to promote democracy, human rights and economic development. He remained actively involved in his humanitarian work well into his old age.

Carter was the oldest living former US president, and none of his predecessors lived to be older than him. His wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, died just over a year before him.

The last years were marked by illness

Carter’s health was poor recently. In February 2023, after several hospital stays, he stopped his medical treatment and went into home care. In November he fulfilled his wish and voted by mail in the US presidential election. Carter had previously made it clear to Biden that he wanted to support Democrat Kamala Harris.

Carter made it public in 2015 that he had cancer, but he was able to overcome it. In recent years, Carter has been hospitalized several times because of falls. In November 2019, Carter made it clear at a service in his hometown of Plains that he viewed death with calm. “I didn’t ask God to let me live,” he said. “I asked God to give me an appropriate attitude towards death. And I found that I was completely at peace with death.”

Scholz and Macron pay tribute to Carter

Many politicians from abroad also paid respect to the 39th President of the United States, who ruled in the White House from 1977 to 1981. “Throughout his life, Carter was a steadfast defender of the rights of the weakest,” wrote French President Emmanuel Macron on the X platform. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wrote on X that the “USA is losing a committed champion of democracy.”

The royal family spoke up from Great Britain. “His commitment and humility were an inspiration to many,” said King Charles III. with. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that Carter redefined the period after his presidency “with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad.”

Appreciation as a peacemaker

“He dedicated his life to promoting peace in the world and defending human rights. Let us remember today: peace is important, and the world must continue to stand united against those who threaten these values,” the Ukrainian said President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi recalled Carter’s role in forging the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. “His humanitarian commitment is an example of a high level of love, peace and brotherhood,” he wrote on X.

Trump: Americans owe a debt of gratitude to Carter

Biden’s designated successor Donald Trump also paid tribute to the ex-president. Carter “did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans” during a challenging time. Everyone owes him a huge debt of gratitude for this. Contrary to custom, Carter also repeatedly criticized subsequent presidents – including the Republican Trump. After leaving the White House, Carter repeatedly got involved in politics.

Carter’s oldest living successor is now the current incumbent Biden (November 20, 1942), followed by Donald Trump (June 14, 1946), George W. Bush (July 6, 1946), Bill Clinton (August 19, 1946) and Barack Obama (August 4, 1961).