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Across Europe, congratulations to US President-elect Joe Biden began to flow minutes after the race was called, but it was clear that European leaders were also toasting the end of the Trump era and the prospect of a renewal of transatlantic relations. .
With President Donald Trump still alleging fraud and refusing to budge, many European leaders put aside caution and diplomatic protocol to swiftly send their good wishes to Biden, the former vice president and longtime senator who is well known across the continent.
“I want to congratulate the newly elected President of the United States, Joe Biden,” Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin. tweeted at 5:37 p.m. Central European Time, just 15 minutes after CNN became the first news network to project that the Democratic candidate had finally won after four days of vote counting.
“Biden has been a true friend to this nation his entire life and I look forward to working with him for years to come,” Martin wrote. “I also look forward to welcoming you home when circumstances allow!”
In a fuller statement, Martin pointed to Biden’s Irish family heritage. “This is a particularly special day for the people of County Louth and County Mayo, who count President-elect Biden among their number,” he said. But it was less the family connection and more Biden’s repeated statements in support of the Good Friday Agreement and, more broadly, the American Democrats’ endorsement of Ireland in the context of Brexit that gave Martin reason to take the initiative between Europeans who wanted the best for Biden. and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris.
Yet within moments, messages of congratulations were popping up across the continent, like champagne corks on New Year’s Eve, from the Prime Minister of Scotland, Nicola sturgeon, to the President of Lithuania Gypsy Naus Gda. Many leaders cited Harris’s storied nature as the first woman, and the first woman of color, to be elected vice president.
But even when Europeans were very happy with the news, Trump’s refusal to budge led some officials to take a cautious approach initially.
Among the major EU powers, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas spoke first, notably refraining from full and formal congratulations. But he praised the prospect of “a new transatlantic beginning, a new deal.”
“It is good that there are finally clear figures”, Maas tweeted, expressing a sentiment shared by millions in Europe who had been watching with anxiety as the counting of votes across the ocean dragged on from night to day, four times.
“We look forward to working with the next US government,” Maas wrote. “We want to invest in our cooperation for a new transatlantic start, a new deal.”
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab congratulated while noting that the electoral battle was not completely over. “While some of the proceedings are still unfolding, it is now clear that Joe Biden has won,” Raab tweeted. “Congratulations to President-elect and Kamala Harris on their historic victory.”
His boss, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, offered congratulations unqualified about the same time.
And approximately 90 minutes after the results were clear, just before 7 p.m. Central European time, French President Emmanuel Macron opened the floodgates of the EU. “The Americans have chosen their president,” Macron declared. Congratulations Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. We have a lot to do to meet today’s challenges. Let’s act together! “Almost simultaneously, German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a congratulatory message.
And the top leaders of the EU institutions followed moments later.
“I warmly congratulate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their victory in the US presidential elections,” said Commission Chair Ursula von der Leyen. “The EU and the US are friends and allies, our citizens share the deepest bonds. I look forward to working with President-elect Biden. ”
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, left a small margin for maneuver. “The EU is closely monitoring the presidential and congressional elections in the United States,” Michel said in a statement. “We take note of the latest developments in the electoral process. On this basis, the EU congratulates President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris for reaching enough electoral votes.
Michel praised the record voter turnout, but also noted that the results were not yet official. “We are following the process of certification of results and we are confident that the US electoral system will soon announce the final result,” he said.
The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, cited common values that many Europeans felt Trump did not share.
“We have common values, a strong attachment to democracy and freedom”, Sassoli said. “By relaunching relations between Europe and the United States, we can design and build a better world. It will be good to work together. “
An EU official said Michel worked to coordinate statements by EU leaders, with 7pm chosen as the appointed time “to congratulate the president-elect and vice-president-elect on the outcome in Pennsylvania, while showing respect. by the electoral process “.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also issued a statement precisely at 7 pm, while Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte followed at 7:13 pm
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who spent much of the past four years trying to keep Trump on board the alliance, made clear that he did not expect such a fight with Biden. “I warmly welcome the election of Joe Biden as the next president of the United States,” Stoltenberg said in a statement. “I know Mr. Biden as a strong supporter of NATO and the transatlantic relationship.”
Given the tight election, the disputed outcome, and the prospect of legal battles, there was also some concern about what a deeply polarized America would mean for Europe and the world. “The social divide in the United States is worrying,” said EU Cohesion and Reform Commissioner Elisa Ferreira from Portugal. tweeted. “Things won’t just go back to where they were.” Still, she pronounced herself “feeling good” about Biden’s win.
When news agencies published photos of Trump on a golf course, the president had few European allies speaking on his behalf. One notable exception was Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, who on Wednesday stated that it was “pretty clear” that Trump had won and congratulated the Republican Party on its strong performance. As his colleagues congratulated Biden, Janša pointed out that there was still a legal fight ahead and that it was the mainstream media, not election officials, who had declared the winner.
“Complaints have been filed in every state in the US with a close result,” he said. tweeted. “The courts have not even begun to decide.”
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