The world woke up on Tuesday to headlines dominated by Donald Trump’s return to office, underscoring global concern over tariffs, global conflicts and the future of America’s foreign alliances.

Italian daily La Repubblica ran with ‘Trump 2: The revenge’, expanding that ‘the Emperor of the Future is back’ with the promise of a new golden age for America.

German tabloid Bild went with ‘the signature that changes the world’, honing in on the string of executive orders issued as the 47th President ‘before the eyes of the world’.

Seventy eight orders from the previous administration were revoked overnight, and Trump wasted no time in withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Paris Climate Agreement.

Spain’s La Vanguardia quoted Trump in saying ‘the golden age of America begins right now’ after swearing his oath and delivering his second inaugural address.

Outlets in Ukraine and Greenland, aware of the weight a Trump presidency carries for the future of their own territories, noted their lack of mention while Russian media hinted at the prospect of ‘dialogue’ with Putin over the war.

Bild led its coverage of the Trump inauguration with ‘the signature that changes the world’

‘The Golden Age arrives,’ La Vanguardia paraphrased Trump as having said last night

‘Trump’s new world’ was in focus for Spanish outlet ABC

‘In a speech announcing extreme violence, the American president promised a new golden age to a nation according to him in decline. The nightmare begins again’

In Madrid, Spanish national ABC described Trump’s ‘new world’, signing a ‘battery’ of decrees for the ‘rebirth’ of the United States.

The President was quick to pardon about 1,500 supporters charged over the Jan 6 storming of the Capitol in 2021.

He also repealed Biden-era policies banning drilling in the Arctic, and pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, aiming to curb global temperature rises.

El Pais, also in Spain but with a large readership in Latin America, led its coverage with ‘Trump Unchained’.

‘The President of the U.S. takes control and adopts [his] first measures.’

Portuguese media took a sharper line. Jornal de Noticias included a picture of a triumphant Trump overlaid with the caption ‘America against the world’.

In Denmark – at the centre of a spat over Trump’s comments about the U.S. taking control of Greenland – Ekstra Bladet described Trump’s ‘thunder speech’, with comment on how the autonomous territory was not yet ‘off the hook’.

The Kyiv Independent was more neutral in its coverage, writing that Trump had been sworn in before adding: ‘Doesn’t mention Ukraine.’

Russian outlet Meduza, critical of Putin’s war in Ukraine, focused in on global issues overshadowing Trump’s domestic challenges: growing nuclear tensions, competition in the Arctic and energy.

RT was less direct, acknowledging Putin’s congratulations and that Trump had decided to suspend foreign aid – amid a lack of clarity over the future of American support for Ukraine.

The Times of Israel noted in its coverage this would ‘likely’ impact Palestinians hoping to rebuild their lives in the wake of a fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. 

French daily Liberation, founded by the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, made a more scathing assessment of Trump’s inauguration, writing ‘the nightmare begins again’.

‘In a speech announcing extreme violence, the American president promised a new golden age to a nation according to him in decline. The nightmare begins again.’

Corriere della Serra, in Italy, was pithy, writing: ‘Trump attacks: all changes.’

The Kyiv Independent was more neutral in its coverage, writing that Trump had been sworn in before adding: ‘Doesn’t mention Ukraine.’

Le Figaro echoed coverage by La Vanguardia: ‘Trump announces a “Golden Age” of America’

Meduza, critical of the war in Ukraine, focused on the global issues overshadowing the presidency

In Poland, daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza highlighted the far-ranging executive orders ‘from pardoning Capitol stormtroopers to Border Emergency’.

An interview with former president Aleksander Kwaśniewski judged that Trump ‘feels he is endowed with special power by God. It arouses fear’.

‘Although Trump did not talk much about international politics, these statements already show that he wants to demonstrate his strength,’ said Kwaśniewski of Trump’s inaugural speech.

Polish tabloid Fakt went in on the ‘outrage’ over Trump’s decision to pardon the Capitol rioters, quoting him as calling them ‘hostages’.

They quoted former speaker Nancy Pelosi in calling the decision ‘shameful’.

Le Temps, in Switzerland, focused on Elon Musk’s bizarre gesture on stage: ‘”Fascist” salute or clumsy gesture: Elon Musk sows confusion following Donald Trump’s inauguration’ 

‘America against the world’ was the assessment in Portugal

Trump unchained, wrote El Pais on Tuesday morning

Le Soir, in France, went with ‘Everything is going to change’