As I’ve watched the international media coverage of the
death of Margaret Thatcher over the past few days, I’ve almost felt like we're talking about different women.
In America,
the wall-to-wall coverage – quite unusual for a foreign leader – has been downright worshipful. This tone has been matched by politicians on both sides of
the aisle. "The world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and
liberty, and America
has lost a true friend,” declared Barack Obama on Monday. “She helped restore
the confidence and pride that has always been the hallmark of Britain at its
best."
Here in continental Western Europe,
where Thatcher was far less popular, the coverage couldn’t be more different. One
French politician remarked that Thatcher will see the miners she put out of
work in hell, while German MP Michael Roth declared "her radical market
policies and her Europe-sceptical politics will certainly not be missed.”
In the UK
the coverage has been more nuanced. As people say, she was a bit like Marmite –
you either loved her or you hated her. The political persuasions of British
papers has determined which side they’ve chosen to emphasise. But no media
outlet has ignored the fact that she split opinions. Even Conservative Prime
Minister David Cameron’s statement to the Parliament on Monday acknowledged this.
