Hung parliament: World press reacts to May's 'disastrous gamble'
From the US to Australia, journalists are having their say on the general election result
Journalists around the world have reacted with as much shock as their UK counterparts to the general election result.
Italy's La Repubblica declared Theresa May's "gamble" to have failed as she lost her majority and was forced to negotiate a "fragile" coalition with the Democratic Unionist Party.
Frankfurter Allgemeine in Germany manages two puns in English, headlining its leader on the election result: "Mayday", while another piece renames the Prime Minister: "Theresa Maybe."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It also tells readers this was a "vote against a hard Brexit" and says: "The voters of the United Kingdom are insecure, angry and upset."
Attention across the Atlantic is still preoccupied with former FBI boss James Comey's testimony to Congress about President Donald Trump, but the New York Times finds time to cover the election results – with some bemusement.
It calls the vote an "extraordinary gamble" that "backfired", adding: "Clearly, Britons confounded expectations and the betting markets once again."
The Washington Post believes it was a "disastrous gamble on the future of Britain" and says May has paid the price for a "lack of grace in public appearances… made worse by the whiff of dishonesty".
The PM is "hanging by a thread", it adds, with her promises of stability "looking more like delusions". The only thing certain about the UK's future "is uncertainty itself", it concludes.
In Australia, the Sydney Morning Herald says May made the "same miscalculation" as her Aussie counterpart Malcolm Turnbull, who last year also went to the polls seeking a stronger mandate and ended up with a weaker one.
Both leaders "chronically" underestimated their opponents and "assumed their innate superiority would shine through", says the paper.
Even before the election, the Herald was predicting bad things for the Tories, saying two days ago that the woman once described as the new Iron Lady was "rusting faster than a badly painted gate in a rainstorm".
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 carefully selected cartoons about the Trump-Daniels jury selection process
Cartoons Artists take on a stress-free life, rare peers, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Loire Valley Lodges review: sleep, feast and revive in treetop luxury
The Week Recommends Forest hideaway offers chance to relax and reset in Michelin key-winning comfort
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Myanmar: the Spring Revolution and the downfall of the generals
Talking Point An armed protest movement has swept across the country since the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi was overthrown in 2021
By The Week Staff Published
-
Will Aukus pact survive a second Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question US, UK and Australia seek to expand 'game-changer' defence partnership ahead of Republican's possible return to White House
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Farewell to Theresa May: a PM consumed by Brexit
Talking Point Maidenhead MP standing down at next general election
By The Week UK Published
-
It's the economy, Sunak: has 'Rishession' halted Tory fightback?
Today's Big Question PM's pledge to deliver economic growth is 'in tatters' as stagnation and falling living standards threaten Tory election wipeout
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Stormont power-sharing in sight: 'good news' for Northern Ireland?
Talking Point Unionists vote to end two-year boycott after agreeing legislative package to address post-Brexit trading arrangements
By The Week UK Published
-
Why your local council may be going bust
The Explainer Across England, local councils are suffering from grave financial problems
By The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak and the right-wing press: heading for divorce?
Talking Point The Telegraph launches 'assault' on PM just as many Tory MPs are contemplating losing their seats
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published