Democrat Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States.
The swing state of Pennsylvania was called for the 77-year-old, handing him 20 electoral college votes and the presidency four days after the election.
After four years of President Donal Trump leading the so-called ‘free world,’ global leaders have been reacting to the announcement.
COVID-19 and climate change feature as in the statement’s made by several world leaders. Trump refused to work with US allies to combat climate change, most notably withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Biden has already made a statement saying he would rejoin the agreement while stating he is already working toward improving the country’s response to COVID-19.
Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama congratulated Joe Biden even before Pennsylvania was called. The Pacific is significantly affected by climate change. Bainimarama referenced the Paris Climate Agreement, which Joe Biden has viewed to rejoin.
“Now, more than ever, we need the USA at the helm of these multilateral efforts (and back in the #ParisAgreement — ASAP!)”
Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau made a statement shortly after Pennsylvania was called for Joe Biden.
“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I congratulate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their election as the next President and Vice President of the United States of America,” he said in a statement, going on to address climate change, an issue Trump did not productively engage in with world leaders.
“We will further build on this foundation as we continue to keep our people safe and healthy from the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and work to advance peace and inclusion, economic prosperity, and climate action around the world.”
Jacinda Ardern congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their victory in the US presidential election, also addressing climate change in her statement.
“The campaign by the President-elect has also shown the shared interests we have in addressing global challenges like Covid-19 and climate change.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnston tweeted his statement expressing excitement to work on “shared priorities” like “climate change.”
The King of Jordan tweeted that he is looking forward to working with the US.
German Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Biden's election a "new and exciting chapter" between the two countries, touting relations with the US as Europe's "most important" partner.
"Congratulations, Mr. President-elect @JoeBiden. Now is the chance to open a new and exciting chapter in trans-Atlantic relations. The USA remains Europe's most important and closest partner. There is much to do. Good cooperation! #EveryVoteCounts," he tweeted.
Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated the incoming leaders in a statement.
"Congratulations! The American people have made their decision.”
French President Emanuel Macron congratulated Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in a Tweet, saying that the American people have decided.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is yet to make a statement, as well as China’s Xi Jinping.
Ideologically aligned reluctant to congratulate
Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro, often described as Trump’s South American counterpart, is yet to make a statement, but declared earlier in the week that Trump is “not the most important person in the world.”
Bolsonaro modelled his COVID-19 approach on the US approach, consequently becoming the third most infected country in the world. The Brazilian president now faces a leader with a different stance on climate change and COVID-19.
Poland, whose right-wing leader Andrzej Duda has politically aligned with Trump, cautiously tweeted to congratulate Biden “for a successful presidential campaign.”
British Brexit party leader Nigel Farage notably did not congratulate Biden and instead retweeted a video of Biden claiming to be Irish when asked about the BBC.
