Reactions to the election of Donald Trump

Leaders around the world have reacted after Donald Trump announced his victory in the US presidential election.

Leyla Cheamil, 07.11.2024, 14:00

Many political leaders around the world have reacted by congratulating the Republican Donald Trump, who announced his victory in the US presidential election. Before the votes counting was over, he had obtained more than the 270 electors that he needed to be elected. He thus becomes the second American president with two non-consecutive terms. The incumbent President Joe Biden and the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his victory. Joe Biden invited him to the White House and expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition, emphasizing the importance of working to unify the country. “The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for. A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results.” Kamala Harris said in a speech held at Howard University in Washington.

European leaders emphasized Europe’s close ties to the United States, posting early congratulations for Donald Trump as it became clear he would win the US presidency. The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, “warmly congratulated” Donald Trump on his victory in the election, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, emphasized the ‘lasting alliance’ and the ‘historic link’ between the European Union and the United States. The French President Emmanuel Macron promised to cooperate with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for a stronger Europe, given the ‘new context’. At the same time, the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was looking forward to working with Donald Trump in the coming years. NATO Secretary General, the former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, said that Donald Trump’s leadership will be ‘again essential to keep our alliance strong’.

The Beijing leader Xi Jinping called the winner of the US presidential election and pleaded for the relationship between the two powers to be ‘stable, healthy and sustainable’. We hope that both sides will uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation, said Xi Jinping, who called for finding the right way for China and the United States to get along in this new era. He emphasized that a good relationship between Beijing and Washington will benefit both countries and the world. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, spoke on the phone with Donald Trump, congratulating him on his victory, which he called historic and convincing. Zelensky stated that he agreed with him to maintain a close dialogue and develop cooperation between Ukraine and the US. From Romania, the head of state, Klaus Iohannis, conveyed that Bucharest is a strong and committed strategic ally of Washington. In turn, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu mentioned that Romania is ready to work to strengthen the strategic partnership with the United States. (LS)