Acceptance, regret and cheers: World leaders conflicted over Brexit
The Brexit vote is sure to have a ripple effect throughout Europe and beyond as nations struggle to figure out what the decision means for their economic and political relationships with the UK.
Global leaders are taking stock of what the UK's exit from the European Union means for their countries. Leaders are marking their morning-after statements with acceptance, regret and cheers.
Who 'respects' the decision?
Some leaders expressed acceptance and pledged that relations with the UK will continue unabated.
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“The people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and we respect their decision,” U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement. “The United Kingdom and the European Union will remain indispensable partners of the United States even as they begin negotiating their ongoing relationship."
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said much the same thing, echoing "respect" for the decision made by the U.K., and making "clear America's steadfast relationship with Britain and the transatlantic alliance with Europe."
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Who regrets Brexit?
Many European leaders expressed regretful acceptance.
"We take note of the British people's decision with regret," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after the vote. "There is no doubt that this is a blow to Europe and to the European unification process."
French President Francois Hollande echoed Merkel's regret.
"This is a painful choice and it is deeply regrettable both for the U.K. and Europe," he said. "But this choice is theirs and we must respect it, accepting all the consequences."
Who is cheering?
Right-wing politicians from the United States and Europe cheered the vote.
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Several conservative politicians in Europe have called for their nations to have referendums of their own.
Dutch Party for Freedom Leader Geert Wilders called for a similar referendum in the Netherlands, and said he thinks the dissolution of the EU is now just "a matter of time."
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen took that message perhaps a step further, calling for a referendum on EU membership in every country that is a part of the union.
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Colin is Mashable's US & World Reporter. He previously interned at Foreign Policy magazine and The American Prospect. Colin is a graduate from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. When he's not at Mashable, you can most likely find him eating or playing some kind of sport.
