World leaders react to Donald Trump's US election victory

Europe

European Union

Top officials at the European Union have invited Donald Trump to Europe for an urgent US-EU summit

In a joint letter, Donald Tusk, president of the European council and Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European commission, congratulated Trump and urged him to come to Europe for talks "at your earliest convenience".

Tusk and Juncker are seeking reassurance on key issues on which Trump's remarks on the campaign trial have rattled European leaders, including migration, climate change and Russia's threat to Ukraine, the Guardian reports.

The letter said: "It is more important than ever to strengthen transatlantic relations. Only by cooperating closely can the EU and the US continue to make a difference when dealing with unprecedented challenges such as Da'esh [Isis], the threats to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, climate change and migration."

It added: "We would take this opportunity to invite you to visit Europe for an EU - US summit at your earliest convenience. This conversation would allow for us to chart the course of our relations for the next four years."

The EU's foreign affairs chief, Federica Mogherini, gave a diplomatic reaction to Trump's victory, tweeting: "EU-US ties are deeper than any change in politics."

Martin Schulz, the president of the European parliament, said the vote was "a protest vote" similar to Brexit. "It began timidly, but this is like a wave, a wave of protest that will lead to Trump in the White House," Schulz told Europe 1 radio.

UK

Theresa May congratulated Trump on his victory in a hard-fought campaign, saying Britain and the US have "an enduring and special relationship based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise".

She added: "We are, and will remain, strong and close partners on trade, security and defence. I look forward to working with president-elect Donald Trump, building on these ties to ensure the security and prosperity of our nations in the years ahead."

Number 10 policymakers are already viewing the result through the same prism as Brexit. The head of the No 10 policy board, George Freeman, tweeted: "at its heart this is about a broken contract through the failure of globalised market economics to serve the interests of domestic workers."

He said the result was "a stunning demonstration of how disempowered low income Americans feel by Washington politics and globalisation". "The insurgency is a big test for the constitutional protections for liberty and democracy in the UK and the US. It is clear we are living through a genuine crisis of legitimacy sweeping through western political economy".

He asked whether the EU leaders will wake up to "the roar of anger at globalisation, machine politics, and out of touch elites". Freeman, who was a fierce critic of the tone of Trump's campaign and at one point described him as Trumpolini, added: "the key now is how he governs, and who he appoints to his administration".

France

French president François Hollande said Trump's win "opens up a period of uncertainty". The result showed that France must be stronger, and Europe more united, he added.

Germany

The German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said:

I believe the biggest challenge will be to meet the high expectations that Trump himself has created: to make America great again, also with a view to the economy, to create new jobs in the current economic environment, all that won't be easy. Above all I hope that we aren't facing bigger tectonic shifts in international politics.

During his campaign Donald Trump has spoken critically not just about Europe, but particularly about Germany. I think we have to prepare for the fact that American foreign policy will be less predictable for us in the future. We have to be prepared for the fact [...] that America will be more inclined to make unilateral decisions in the future."

The German defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, said the results were a "huge shock". She told broadcaster ARD: "I think Trump knows that this was not a vote for him but rather against Washington, against the establishment."

Photograph: Stephanie Lecocq/EPA

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