Statements from Global Leaders About Narendra Modi
Gentlemen, I have been around for a very, very long time and I have come across leaders of all shades and hues in almost every part of the world. I have rarely met a man so wonderfully focused on selling himself as Narendra Modi. In my country, especially in Middle America, the highest praise is reserved for the second-hand car salesman. This job requires cunning, sleight of hand and a glib tongue since you are often selling shoddy goods to someone who does not even need it.
I believe Prime Minister Modi is the World’s Greatest Second-hand Car Salesman – of the Global South, of course. I hesitate to anoint him the greatest salesman in the world because he faces very tough competition from my predecessor in the White House.
President Biden (United States)
I am too much of a man of the masses to be taken in by Dear Leaders, wherever they may be. I have suffered and endured indignities and imprisonment. But I see no harm in giving in to the Indian delegation’s request that I exercise my discretion as the next chair to declare that the G20 in New Delhi was the greatest show ever. No country can possibly hope to put up a tent like PM Modi did. We hope to host the 2024 summit with a much, much smaller budget since we have other pressing priorities. I believe I am not being very original when I say Modi is the greatest event manager in the world today, o melhor empresário!
President Lula (Brazil)
We in the French establishment take considerable pride in our underhandedness. We know how to hustle. We can cut a deal with any leader on his terms yet laugh our way to the bank. I was particularly struck by Modi’s street smartness; imagine, declaring the adoption of the G20 joint statement even before the rest of us had a chance to formally say so. That is a sort of trick one practices in party platforms but it required a special deviousness to do this at an international gathering. The art of presenting a fait accompli is not just a European trick. Monsieur Modi had mastered it. He is a master of simulacra and simulation, to borrow the the title of Baudrillard’s classic book.
President Macron (France)
In this private gathering, I have no hesitation in stating that the man would have been very well understood and admired by people in our country – but 80 years ago. Because we have good reason to believe that he is only leader in the world whose nationalism mirrors the ideas of a certain book that, frankly, most Germans today would throw in the trash. What is more, he remains unfazed when he is accused of shielding bigots and now is planning for where India will be after 1,000 years. Of course, the last leader who tried to do that with his country proved to be a disaster. Let me say no more.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Germany)
If pressed to choose a salutation, I shall call him the greatest transactional man. Britain has conventionally been known as a nation of traders, and we do know how to strike a bargain; we know how to gauge the customer’s needs and ego and to adjust our sales pitch accordingly. But Prime Minister Modi is the supreme personification of all these qualities. I would have liked to call him the greatest transactional leader of all times but my team tells me that he is not without chinks in his armour – that it is easy to sell him anything as long we take care to satisfy his ego. We do not judge. We just do business.
Prime Minister Sunak (UK)
We regard Prime Minister Modi as the only political leader of 21st century who is bothy physically and metaphysically inclined. Why do we say this? Because he is the only man in recent history who resembles the greatest political philosopher and mystic of all time, Grigori Rasputin, in both appearance and adeptness at intrigue. So complete is the imitation that he is the only modern leader who has shown the courage to sport a long beard in office.
In our country, Lenin’s goatee was an apology for a beard. Stalin only grew a moustache while neither Khrushchev nor Brezhnev, not to speak of Chernenko, Andropov and Gorbachov, could claim to possess any kind of stubble. My own leader, President Putin, of course, is clean shaven but that is because he is beyond such trivial hirsutes.
And, I do wish to remind my Indian friends that for many years, Russia did not think India had acquired genuine freedom because neither Gandhi nor Nehru, nor Bose, nor Patel, nor Ambedkar cared to grow a beard. It takes extraordinary courage and extraordinary depth of character for a man in public life to sport a beard. Of course, our good friend Manmohan Singh also had a beard, but that was a religious obligation, not a conscious choice. Though he has trimmed it now, only Prime Minister Modi has chosen to make a statement with his beard.
So, ladies and gentlemen, do join me in saluting Modi, a man with courage to grow a beard. None of us knows what a vishwaguru looks like, but as someone trained in Marxism, I dare say it is no dialectical mystery. All gurus must have a beard. Only Modi has a beard. QED.
Foreign Minister Lavrov (Russia)
Premier Li Qiang (China)
The Chinese side is very fond of Prime Minister Modi because he is, if you pardon my bluntness, a man of straw. After his first encounter with Modi in Ahmedabad, Comrade Xi told the politburo: “I had expected to meet a man of steel, but he turned out to be a man of rusted iron.” After the meeting in Bali, Comrade Xi told us: “The rusted iron man is becoming brittle; all too ready to crumble. What we need to do is 再推一下 or – to use a Hindi phrase Mr Modi may know, ek dhakka aur do (give it another push). I am sorry if my Indian hosts feel disappointed and I do apologise most profusely; but Comrade Xi has always impressed upon Chinese diplomats that it is better to be frank than to be deceitful.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "doing a terrific job" and that India "has never had a better friend than me", while giving the broadest hint yet that he may be running for office again in 2024.
Former US President Donald Trump
Boris Johnson (Uk)
Boris Johnson said, "Thank you... my friend prime minister Modi, Narendra Modi. my khaas dost I think is the phrase I want to. in Hindi. We had a fantastic two days in India. I became the first conservative prime minister to visit Gujarat, your birthplace, of course.
“The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the boss,” Albanese said as he witnessed the rousing welcome that PM Modi received from the crowd who chanted slogans like ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, ‘Vande Mataram’, and ‘Modi, Modi’.
Australian PM Anthony Albanese
Alain Berset (Swiss)
Thanking Modi, the Swiss President said he would continue to strengthen "our relations" with India.
Meloni clicked a selfie with the Indian prime minister and shared it on her Instagram account. “Good friends at COP28 #Melodi," Meloni captioned her selfie with PM Modi.
Italy PM Giorgia meloni
