The German papers seem to have finished their tirades against the re-election of United States President George W. Bush and on Friday are offering kinder, gentler words and pragmatic suggestions of how to plump up the flat and decidedly lifeless trans-Atlantic relationship. The main cause of strain is Europe's adamant refusal to send troops to Iraq, but other issues -- American opposition to the Kyoto Protocol, the International Criminal Court and the fact that Europe is becoming increasingly secular and liberal, while America veers the other direction -- also have increased fraying. One issue sure to mark Bush's second term is the Middle East and commentators were also anxious to discuss the failing health of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and what his death might mean for Middle East politics.

While Germans are still universally appalled by America's choice to re-elect Bush, commentators on Friday stressed the importance of coming to terms with the vote and moving forward. "The challenge for everyone on the German side is to accept the hard facts of this election, writes the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Germans and French may dislike George W. Bush immensely and may be adamantly opposed to the Iraq war, the paper says, but they also need to remember that "this man got more votes than any of his 42 predecessors. Bush's second term will be based on a clear victory and an unassailable mandate." As such, "the (German) Chancellor and his foreign minister should be concerning themselves with creating an at least passable working relationship with Bush and his government -- not only because this is an historical duty, but much more because there is hardly a problem in the world that can be meaningfully solved without the cooperation of Americans and Europeans."

The daily Berliner Zeitung takes a similar view, insisting that Bush did not win the election in spite of his personality, but because of it. "The majority of Americans are attracted to his black-and-white style of thinking, his sense of religious mission, and his refusal to second guess himself or admit mistakes; for them this is a sign of strong leadership." Certainly, Germans can hope that Bush's second administration will be less controversial and war-torn than his first, but "four years is too long not to try to make the best of the situation." The paper hopes Germany will stick to its vow not to send soldiers to Iraq, but it also says that a damaged trans-Atlantic relationship puts the world at risk. Without Europe and America there can never be a viable plan for peace in the Middle East, the paper says. And, "when America and Europe go at each other, it limits the resonance of western democracies in the rest of the world."

The business daily, Financial Times Deutschland pulls out the old aphorism, "the devil you know is better than the devil you don't" and says at least Europe can know what to expect from Bush this time around. Plus, the paper admonishes Europeans for imagining America to be more European than it really is. "Europeans need to ask themselves why they are so surprised by the way things turned out and the direction things are headed in America," the paper writes. Those who are surprised need to take a closer look at what America is, not what Europe thinks it is. "Europe has a deep cultural bond with America, but for the most part this only goes for those in the metropolitan areas of the East and West coasts. In other words it is with the people who voted for Kerry." For most Europeans, conservative, religious America is, the paper says, "a terra incognita." But, "these elections show that this part of American society has become more pronounced. It is high time Europe became more curious about small town America."

For Germany's influential Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung the key to current German-American relations lies in the telegram German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sent to congratulate Bush on his re-election. The telegram read, "I look forward to further cooperation on the basis of close friendship between Germany and the USA." From this, the paper draws two conclusions: that Germany is hoping for an end to the after-effects of the discord over the Iraq war (namely that Schroeder made his vow not to send troops a lynchpin for his 2002 re-election,) and that Germany hopes Bush will soon make a conciliatory gesture to Germany and to France.

Finally, the conservative daily Die Welt takes a strikingly contrary position, almost lauding Bush and insisting conservative German politicians can learn from his bold and ultimately successful gamble of playing to the religious right. "This election victory shows there is another answer to society than the one offered by the generation of 1968 (meaning liberalism and secularism). It is not anti-modernism, but a search for a society that again understands the importance of values. If only the people of Germany would gain a feeling for that!"

Aside from Iraq, establishing peace in the Middle East will certainly be a pivotal part of a second Bush presidency. At least that is the hope. The failing health and possible death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the question of who could replace him caused much stir in German papers. While most papers cautiously refer to Arafat's condition as so critical that he likely won't ever regain power, a few editorialists are already sounding his death knell. "Arafat's death will mark the end of an era," predicts Die Welt. "It will be regrettable for many Palestinians, but it is also a major opportunity. A life without Arafat could mean the end of corruption, the beginning of democracy and serious negotiations with the Israelis."

The Suddeutsche Zeitung is much less severe. "Many people have been wishing for a Palestine without Arafat. But hardly anyone can imagine a Palestine without Arafat," it writes. "In the eyes of the world, he embodied his virtual country like none other since Ghandi. The fact that there is no obvious successor is partly Arafat's own doing. He didn't like potential crown princes in his vicinity. However, the largest share of the blame goes to the Israelis -- they either killed or imprisoned almost everyone who could have developed into an important political player in Palestine. A first chance was lost when (former Israeli Prime Minister) Yitzhak Rabin was murdered. With Arafat a second historic opportunity will die."