Far-right congratulates Trump: ‘Their world is collapsing. Ours is being built’

Around the world some far-right and rightwing nationalist leaders have been reacting with glee to Donald Trump’s election as US president, while other politicians, diplomats and prominent figures have been struggling to come to terms with ther result.

France

Marine Le Pen's far-right Front National has welcomed the results claiming they herald a new world. Marine Le Pen, who is running for president next spring, has long said Trump's politics were in French interests, congratulated the "free" American people.

Le Pen's most senior strategist, Florian Philippot, tweeted: "Their world is collapsing. Ours is being built."

Foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault expressed concern about Mr Trump and said: “We don’t want a world where egoism triumphs.”

France's Socialist government had openly endorsed Hillary Clinton.

Mr Ayrault said European politicians should pay attention to the message from Trump voters. “There is a part of our electorate that feels ... abandoned,” including people who feel “left behind” by globalisation, he said.

Netherlands

The Dutch far-right leader and MP Geert Wilders expressed his jubilation after early wins for Trump.

He wrote: "Florida and Utah for @realDonaldTrump. The people are taking their country back. So will we."

United Kingdom

Ukip's leader Nigel Farage hailed what he described as a revolution in America that has eclipsed the referendum vote to leave the European Union.

The US-based British historian Simon Schama said the result was a "calamity for democracy" that will "hearten fascists all over the world". He also called for a Churchill figure to mount a fightback.

Some nations have expressed their alarm at the result, while others have put a brave face on the face on the results.

Russia

President Vladimir Putin sent Mr Trump a telegram of congratulation on winning the presidential election.

In a brief statement, the Kremlin said Mr Putin expressed “his hope to work together for removing Russian-American relations from their crisis state”.

Mr Putin also said he had confidence in “building a constructive dialogue between Moscow and Washington that is based on principles of equality, mutual respect and a real accounting of each other’s positions, in the interests of our peoples and the world community”.

Earlier, the lower house of parliament applauded the result.

State news agency RIA-Novosti said Vyacheslav Novikov, a member of the foreign affairs committee from the governing United Russia party, addressed the State Duma, saying: "Three minutes ago, Hillary Clinton acknowledged her defeat in the US presidential elections and just a second ago, Trump began his speech as president-elect. I congratulate all of you on this."

The chamber, where the pro-Kremlin party holds an overwhelming majority, then broke into applause, the report said.

Garry Kasparov, former world champion turned vocal opponent of Vladimir Putin, tweeted simply: "Winter is here."

Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel offered Mr Trump “close co-operation” on the basis of shared trans-Atlantic values that she says include respect for human dignity regardless of people’s origin, gender or religion.

Mrs Merkel told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday that the campaign which ended in Mr Trump’s victory featured “confrontations that were difficult to bear”.

Mrs Merkel stressed Germany's close historical connection with the United States. She said: "Germany and America are connected by values: democracy, freedom, respect for the law and for the dignity of human beings, independently of origin, skin colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political views."

She added: "On the basis of these values, I am offering the future president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, close co-operation."

She said the partnership with the US “is a foundation stone of German foreign policy.”

Mexico

Mexico's former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called for calm. In s video on Facebook he said Mexico was "a free, independent, sovereign country".

“It is not a colony, it is not a protectorate, it does not depend on any foreign government.”

“It’s DEFCON 2,” said Mexican analyst Alejandro Hope. “Probably something as close to a national emergency as Mexico has faced in many decades.

“It depends if he means what he says and if he can do what he claims he wants to do. A massive deportation campaign could really put some stress on Mexican border communities. A renegotiation of Nafta (North American Free Trade Agreement) could seriously hobble the Mexican economy. It could create a lot of uncertainty. Financial markets could suffer.”

Australia

Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, said the government was ready to work with "whomever the American people in their wisdom choose to be their president".

Ms Bishop reflected it had been a “particularly bruising, divisive and hard-fought campaign“.

“However the new administration will have a number of challenges, particularly in our region, and we want to work constructively with the new administration to ensure the continued presence and leadership of the United States in our region.”

China

State media and Trump’s many Chinese admirers have continued to signal Beijing’s preference for a Trump win.

The state-run Xinhua news agency said the campaign highlighted that “the majority of Americans are rebelling against the US‘s political class and financial elites“.

The official Communist party newspaper People‘s Daily said the presidential election reveals an “ill democracy“.

Sweden

Sweden‘s former prime minister Carl Bildt said 2016 was the year of “double disaster“ for the west.

Argentina

Argentina's foreign minister, Susana Malcorra, said a Trump win would stall moves to improve relations between the countries due to the "more closed, isolationist and xenophobic" model he represented.

Mr Malcorra told Argentine television channel Todo Noticias that the conservative government of Maurico Macri had opened a new phase of cooperation and trade with Washington after years of strained relations under former president Cristina Fernandez. But there would be a "big stop" in this process if Trump won.

Japan

Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, followed the vote count in his office and told an aide that "the competition is closer than expected", according to the Kyodo news services.

The Japanese government remained neutral during the campaign but analysts have talked about a possible change in US policy toward Japan and the rest of Asia under a Trump presidency.

The chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, reaffirmed his government's commitment to the US-Japan security alliance whatever the outcome.

Canada

Canada's immigration site has suffered repeated outages. Some users in the United States, Canada and Asia saw an internal server error message when trying to access the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

Jokes about moving to Canada have been in abundance since Trump became the Republican nominee. Montreal's mayor, Denis Coderre, tweeted - perhaps lightheartedly, perhaps not - "Please note: our integration office for newcomers of Montreal will remain open after the American vote ..."

Cuba

Communist Party member and noted economist and political scientist Esteban Morales told the Telesur network that Cubans "must be worried because I think this represents a new chapter".

Carlos Alzugaray, a political scientist and retired Cuban diplomat, said Mr Trump’s victory could please some hard-liners in the Cuban leadership who worried that the country was moving too close to the United States too quickly.

Normalisation of relations has set off a tourism boom in Cuba and visits by hundreds of executives from the US and dozens of other nations newly interested in doing business on the island.

Mr Trump has promised to reverse Barack Obama's opening with Cuba unless President Raul Castro agrees to more political freedom on the island, a concession considered a virtual impossibility.

Turkey

Justice minister Bekiz Bozdag said the change of presidency will not make a big difference to “deep-rooted” relations between the two countries.

He told the state-run Anadolu Agency: “In essence our relations are relations between two states and we hope that under the new presidential term the Turkish-US relations will be much better. That is our expectation.

“I saw an intense campaign for Hillary Clinton’s victory. Artists, sportsmen, all personalities worked for Clinton’s victory. But in elections, it is important to embrace the people. No one has won elections through newspaper headlines, opinion polls or television (campaigns).”

Australia

Foreign minister Julie Bishop said the new administration will face a number of challenges, including in Asia-Pacific, and Australia wants to work constructively with the new government to ensure the continued presence and leadership of the US in the region.

She called the US “our major security ally” and the largest foreign direct investor and the second-largest trading partner.

She added: “The United States is also the guarantor and defender of the rules-based international order that has underpinned so much of our economic and security issues. And interests.”

European Union

EU leaders invited Mr Trump to visit Europe to assess trans-Atlantic ties.

With “sincere congratulations”, EU council president Donald Tusk and his Commission counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker said that, despite Trump’s campaign talk of protectionism and isolationism, both sides “should consolidate the bridges we have been building across the Atlantic.”

Tusk famously quoted his wife during the U.S. election campaign, saying that “One Donald is more than enough.!”

After Wednesday’s shock election result, Tusk and Juncker said that “it is more important than ever to strengthen trans-Atlantic relations.” That is why they invited Trumpt to come over for a visit “at your earliest convenience.”

Middle East

A senior Palestinian official said he does not expect US positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to change under Mr Trump.

Saeb Erekat, an adviser to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, said the Republican and Democratic parties are both committed to a two-state solution.

The Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967. Gaps between Mr Abbas and Israel’s hawkish leader on any border deal remain wide.

Mr Erekat said a two-state solution is “in the American national interest, and I think this will not change with the coming administration”.

However, Mr Trump has proposed moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem, even though Washington has not recognised Israel’s annexation of parts of the city.

UK

Prime minister Theresa May said the two countries will remain “strong and close partners on trade, security and defence”.

In a statement, Mrs May said Mr Trump had won after “a hard-fought campaign”.

Mrs May, who took office after British voters delivered a shock to the establishment by deciding to leave the European Union, declined to comment on rival candidates Mr Trump and Mrs Clinton while the US race was on.

On Wednesday, she stressed the enduring trans-Atlantic “special relationship, based on the values of freedom, democracy and enterprise”.

“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,” Mrs May said.

Philippines

President Rodrigo Duterte, who has previously lashed out at Mr Obama for criticising his controversial anti-drug crackdown, congratulated Mr Trump.

Mr Duterte, who took office in June, has had an uneasy relation with the US. The 71-year-old has announced his desire to scale back joint combat drills with the US military and end the presence of foreign troops, including Americans, in the country in two years.

In a statement, however, the tough-talking leader was unusually diplomatic.

“President Duterte wishes president-elect Trump success in the next four years as chief executive and commander-in chief of the US military,” communications secretary Martin Andanar said.

Mr Duterte, he added, “looks forward to working with the incoming administration for enhanced Philippines-US relations anchored on mutual respect, mutual benefit and shared commitment to democratic ideals and the rule of law”.

India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mr Trump in a message posted on Twitter.

Mr Modi tweeted that “we appreciate the friendship you have articulated toward India during your campaign.”

He added that “we look forward to working with you closely to take India-US bilateral ties to a new height.”

Mr Trump had reached out to Indian-American voters at a rally in New Jersey in mid-October, praising Mr Modi and vowing to defeat terrorism while acknowledging that India had suffered terror strikes, including the deadly 2008 attacks that killed 164 people.

In the Indian capital on Wednesday morning, a small group of men from the right-wing Hindu nationalist group Hindu Sena celebrated Mr Trump’s victory at a central protest ground, where they brandished posters and photos of the US president-elect while dancing and sharing sweets.

Egypt

Egypt’s president congratulated Mr Trump on winning the US presidential election, saying Cairo wants to see more “co-operation and coordination” between the two nations to bolster stability and peace in the Middle East.

According to a statement by his office on Wednesday, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi telephoned Mr Trump to offer his congratulations. He also invited the next US president to visit Egypt.

Cairo receives more than 1 billion US dollars annually in US military and economic aid under an assistance programme that began in the 1970s to reward Egypt for signing a peace treaty with Israel.

Mr El-Sissi met separately with Mr Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in New York in September. Mr El-Sissi later said in an interview that Mr Trump “without a doubt” would make a strong leader.

Nato

Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he is looking forward to working with Mr Trump and that US leadership is vital to the world’s biggest military alliance.

Mr Stoltenberg said “it is important that the Trans-Atlantic bond remains strong” and that “US leadership is as important as ever.”

Mr Trump has criticised many allies for not paying their fair share of the Nato budget.

Mr Stoltenberg said he looks forward to welcoming Mr Trump at next Spring’s Nato summit, to be held in the alliance’s sprawling new premises in Brussels.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s prime minister congratulated Mr Trump on his “extraordinary victory,” saying his success showed that politicians should never take voters for granted.

Najib Razak is a possible beneficiary of what could be an inward-looking US under a Trump presidency. He is embroiled in a scandal over the alleged theft by his associates of several billion dollars from a state investment fund. A US Justice Department probe has linked Najib to the embezzlement.

Mr Najib said opinion polls and established political figures all underestimated the strength of Mr Trump’s support.

He said that Mr Trump’s “appeal to Americans who have been left behind, those who want to see their government more focused on their interests and welfare, and less embroiled in foreign interventions that proved to be against US interests, have won Mr Trump the White House.”

Hungary

Hungary’s prime minister said Mr Trump’s victory is “great news” and shows “democracy is still alive”.

Viktor Orban has often been criticised by the United States, including by Mrs Clinton when she was secretary of state, for weakening the democratic system of checks and balances. Mr Orban offered his congratulations to Mr Trump on his Facebook page.

Mr Orban, who returned to power in 2010 and last year built fences on Hungary’s southern borders to stop the flow of migrants heading toward Western Europe, said in July that Mr Trump’s immigration policies made him the best candidate for Hungary and Europe.

In 2014, Mr Orban famously declared his intentions of turning Hungary into an “illiberal state”. His government has also been criticised by the US on issues like corruption, anti-Semitism and media freedom.

Palestine

President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement that he “congratulates the elected American president, Donald Trump, and hopes that peace will be achieved during his term”.

An aide for Mr Abbas, Saeb Erekat, said he does not expect US positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to change under Mr Trump.

Mr Erekat said the Republican and Democratic parties are both committed to a two-state solution of the conflict and “I think this will not change with the coming administration”.

The Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967. Gaps between Mr Abbas and Israel’s hawkish leader on any border deal remain wide.

Mr Trump has proposed moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem, even though the US has not recognised Israel’s annexation of parts of the city.

Guardian and Reuters