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At the head were the Irish and Lithuanian leaders. “Throughout his life, Biden has proven to be a true friend to our nation and I look forward to working with him,” Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said, just 15 minutes after CNN was the first to announce the result on Saturday. . (November 7), around 5.30 pm (Brussels time).
But French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are not far behind either, violating customary protocol, when European leaders prefer to wait for official results or for a candidate to admit defeat.
“The Americans have elected their president … We have a lot of work to do to address today’s problems. Let us act together,” Macron broadcast on Twitter at 7:00 p.m.
“I look forward to working with President Biden in the future … Our transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable,” Merkel said moments later.
Then came the prime ministers of Spain and Italy, and Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias said: “It has been confirmed that Trump lost the elections. This is good news for the entire planet, given that the extreme right is thus losing its most pawn. important “.
And similar statements were subsequently leaked to the vast majority of EU states, focusing on the need to fight climate change and the pandemic, restore transatlantic security and trade relations, and form a common front. versus China.
“Of course, there was a clear and deliberate message that the EU leaders, in some coordination, congratulated Biden before Donald Trump admitted defeat. It is extremely unusual, but the situation is equally unusual,” said Carl Bildt, the Swedish Foreign Minister.
Equally “unusual” statements came from the European institutions and NATO.
“The European Union congratulates President-elect Joe Biden,” said Charles Michel, President of the European Council.
“The EU and the United States are friends and allies, our citizens have the closest relations,” said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.
“We share the same principles,” said the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli. “This is a great day for the United States and Europe,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
“I know that Biden is a strong supporter of NATO and transatlantic relations,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
The president of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, said that the vice president-elect, Kamala Harris, will be “the first woman (in the history of the United States) to hold the position of vice president.”
And Androula Vassiliou, a former European Commissioner for Cyprus, highlighted Trump’s misogyny. “I have a feeling that Melania (Trump’s wife) will not remain Mrs. Trump for long,” Vassiliou said.
There have also been some bitter statements from Trump’s few friends in the EU. Slovenia’s populist Prime Minister Janez Jansa has reiterated Trump’s allegations of election fraud. “There have been complaints all over the United States, and the result is coming … The courts have not yet made a decision,” he said.
And Poland’s populist president, Andrzej Duda, congratulated Biden on his “successful campaign” while “we are awaiting the (US) Electoral College nomination.”
Also in Europe, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who hoped that a Trump in support of Brexit would help him take a strong position in trade negotiations with the EU, also swung left, becoming one of the first to greet Biden. , a pro-EU politician of Irish descent. “The United States is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together,” Johnson said.
But the authoritarian Russian President Vladimir Putin, close to Trump, has remained silent.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who also reached agreements with Trump, was also silent, while Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said that “for Turkey, nothing will change.”
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who recently rigged his own election, called the US vote a “cross-dress of democracy.” But Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tihanovskaya said: “The Belarusian people and I personally thank you (and Biden, respectively) for your solidarity.”
And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom Trump tried to blackmail into framing the Biden family over the corruption issue, also made similar remarks.
For his part, in his speech on Sunday, Biden focused on the need to end the “dark predictions” coming from opposing political camps in the United States. But he also promised to ensure that “America will once again be respected around the world.” He also expressed support for the liberal principles enshrined in the EU treaties.
The fact that (Kamala) Harris is becoming the first black woman to hold such a high position in America was “a long time ago,” she said.
Biden also vowed to rule for the good of all Americans, including in support of minorities: gay, straight, transgender, but also for whites, Hispanics, Asians, and Indians.
He promised to fight the Covid-19 virus, a fight that “will be based on science.”
