Cheers broke out on many streets in the United States immediately after the news of Biden’s victory. The future president immediately received congratulations from abroad. Many utterances speak of relief.
Just seconds after several US media outlets declared the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden the winner of the US election, there was great cheer in many large cities.
People clapped, shouted and cheered on the streets of New York. Hundreds flocked to Times Square to celebrate. Many drivers sounded their horns non-stop. Even after an hour, the constant applause had not ended. TV stations also showed pictures from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with people partying.
The demonstrators gathered in front of the White House in Washington cheered. The metropolises on the US east coast are considered liberal and democratic.
Pelosi: “A New Day of Hope for America”
House Chairwoman Nancy Pelosi said Biden’s victory marked the beginning of a new era of hope. Biden had won an “historic victory”, declared the Democrat: “Today begins a new day of hope for America.”
From the first day of his presidency, Biden will be ready to face the country’s challenges. He will contain the coronavirus pandemic and work for better health care, Pelosi said. With Biden, the Americans had chosen someone who would work relentlessly to unite the country and who upheld the values of “faith, family and community”, explained Pelosi.
While Trump, who received news of his defeat in the Gulf, refuses to recognize Biden’s victory, his party congratulates the 46th US President. Senator Mitt Romney, who ran for the presidency in 2012 and was defeated by Barack Obama, was the first Republican MP to congratulate him. He and his wife had come to know Biden and Kamala Harris “as people of good will and admirable characters.”
Conservative politician Jeb Bush, brother of former President George W. Bush, congratulated and said, “Now is the time to heal the wounds”. He added: “Many are counting on you to lead the way.” In 2016, Bush had ambitions to run for the Republicans in the presidential race, but was inferior to the political lateral entrant Trump in the nomination of the presidential candidate.
Steinmeier emphasizes the value of alliances
Shortly after the decision in the USA, congratulations to the future president were received from abroad. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote in a congratulatory telegram: “Your presidency brings together the hopes of countless people, far beyond the borders of your country, including in Germany.” Biden stands “for an America that knows the value of alliances and friends, of reliability and trust”.
The federal government reacted to Biden’s victory with relief. Chancellor Angela Merkel stated in a statement that she wished Biden “luck and success from the bottom of her heart and also congratulated Kamala Harris, the elected first female vice-president of her country”. The Chancellor also emphasized that she was looking forward to the cooperation: “Our transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable if we are to master the great challenges of our time.”
Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also focused on the value of conflict-free cooperation: “We want to invest in our cooperation, for a new transatlantic start, a New Deal,” he wrote on Twitter.
The EU and NATO emphasized closeness
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen combined her congratulations with the reference that the EU and the USA are “friends and allies, our citizens have the deepest connections”. She is looking forward to working with Biden, wrote von der Leyen on Twitter.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg praised Biden as a “strong supporter of our alliance”. He wrote on Twitter: “A strong NATO is good for both North America and Europe.” Trump had alienated the NATO partners on several occasions, including through unsolicited troop withdrawal announcements and his open questioning of the defense alliance.
Macron: “Let’s work together”
French President Emmanuel Macron combined his congratulations with the remark that “there is a lot to be done to meet the current challenges”. He added, “Let’s work together!”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had demonstratively sought proximity to Donald Trump in recent years, also congratulated Biden and Harris on an “historic success”. The US is Britain’s most important ally. Johnson named trade and climate change as the most important common issues.
Congratulations to Biden and Harris also came from Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “I’m really excited to work with you two,” he wrote on Twitter.
A representative of the Iranian leadership referred to the conflict between the outgoing US government and Iran. Hessameddin Aschena, an adviser to the Iranian President, wrote on Twitter that the Iranians had “bravely resisted until this coward left”.
