European leaders congratulate Joe Biden, after media count declares him victorious in US presidential election

Shortly after the Associated Press declared Joe Biden the winner in the US election, messages of congratulations flowed in from European leaders, some of whom had testy relationships with Donald Trump.

Biden was declared the winner by the Associated Press on Saturday, after the news service called the race in the swing state of Pennsylvania in his favor. The candidate claimed victory soon after, though Trump has not conceded, and will take legal action to challenge the result, citing alleged fraud.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, an ally of Trump through his country’s ongoing Brexit drama, congratulated Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris.

“The US is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security,” Johnson tweeted.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised Harris for becoming the US’ first elected female vice president, and Biden for his win.

“I look forward to future cooperation with President Biden,” she said in a statement. “Our transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable if we are to master the great challenges of our time.”

Merkel will likely breathe a sigh of relief at the thought of working with a Biden administration. President Donald Trump has hammered Germany for failing to step up its NATO contributions, and held up the country as an example of the failure of mass immigration. 

French President Emmanuel Macron, whose relationship with Trump was warmer than Merkel’s, nevertheless echoed the German chancellor’s tone. “The Americans have chosen their President,” he tweeted. “Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris! We have a lot to do to overcome today’s challenges. Let’s work together!”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez kept things almost verbatim, telling Biden “we are looking forward to cooperating with you to tackle the challenges ahead of us.”

Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Michael Martin also gave Biden his congratulations, noting the presumptive winner’s Irish ancestry in saying, “I also look forward to welcoming him back home when the circumstances allow!”

The messages weren’t all so upbeat. Poland’s Andrzej Duda, whose government Biden referred to last month as a “totalitarian regime,” congratulated the former vice president on “a successful presidential campaign,” but noted that the final electoral college outcome is still undecided. Nevertheless, Duda stated that Poland and the US will keep up their “strategic partnership for an even stronger alliance.”

Outside Europe, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Canada’s Justin Trudeau, Israeli Opposition leader Yair Lapid, and Lebanon’s Michel Aoun all sent messages of support to Biden. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi too extended congratulations, despite being one of Trump’s closest allies on the world stage. Modi also paid tribute to Harris, who is of Indian descent.

However, though accepted by these world leaders, Biden’s victory is not yet a done deal. The Electoral College must formally present the results of the election to Congress in December, unless Trump concedes before then. Trump has ruled out concession, and said he will challenge the results of the election up to the Supreme Court, claiming Biden’s win was fraudulent.

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