In a major surprise, May named Johnson, a leading euroskeptic who had until recently been seen as her main rival for the prime minister’s job, to take over as foreign secretary.
Advertisement
German and European Union officials were less equivocal.
And those are Britain’s allies talking.
The criticism from the usually buttoned-down Ayrault is nearly without precedent in the discreet world of European diplomacy, where top leaders typically attack one another’s policies, not their characters.
New Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has set out his vision for Britain to be a “great global player”. But her decision to put Johnson on the world stage, dealing with foreign leaders, is raising questions, largely because of his propensity for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, sometimes in the most vulgar way.
In France, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault Thursday branded his British counterpart a liar. But you know very well what his style and method are. “During the campaign he lied a lot to the British people…”
“[He has] his back against the wall to defend his country but also with his back against the wall the relationship with Europe should be clear”.
May, Britain’s second female prime minister, is undertaking a sweeping Cabinet shuffle on her first full day in office.
Others took a more conciliatory view with the belief that Johnson as foreign secretary would be more temperate than his previous incarnations as Johnson the journalist, Johnson the legislator or Johnson the London mayor.
In a column last December, Mr Johnson compared Vladimir Putin to Dobby the House Elf, the Harry Potter character.
The lack of respect between Johnson and the USA seems to be reciprocal. “She’s got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital”. And Donald Trump didn’t indicate his feelings about Johnson’s statement that he would avoid certain parts of New York City because of the “real risk of meeting Donald Trump”. Asked late Wednesday whom he would apologize to first, Johnson said “the United States of America will be at the front of the queue”.
EU leaders, however, are pressuring Britain to open formal exit talks sooner – and warning that the United Kingdom can not have access to the single European market of 500 million people without accepting the free movement of EU citizens, a sticking point for many pro-Brexit Britons.
As a newspaper columnist, Johnson called Africans “piccaninnies” and described people from Papua New Guinea as cannibals.
In a freaky twist, Johnson has also offered unusual praise for Syrian leader Bashar Assad, calling him a vile dictator but hailing the success of his forces in beating back Islamic State extremists.
The 52-year-old has made a long string of racist and insensitive comments dating back to his early career in journalism.
The quip was a reference to a comment by Obama during Britain’s European Union referendum campaign that the country would be at the back of the queue for trade deals if it voted to leave the bloc.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said he could not believe Johnson will now represent Britain overseas.
“At this incredibly important time that will determine Britain’s economic and cultural relations with Europe, it is extraordinary that the new prime minister has chosen someone whose career is built on making jokes”, Farron said.
The left-leaning Daily Mirror tabloid splashed a picture of then mayor Johnson strapped on a zipwire at the London Olympics wearing a helmet and waving Union Jack flags.
Many were surprised new post-Brexit British Prime Minister Theresa May had given him the role, citing his history of faux pas including insulting the president of Turkey and commenting on the USA president’s ancestry. Johnson was expected to vie for leadership of the Conservative Party then, but ended up backing out when he was suddenly betrayed by his close ally Michael Gove.
It foretells the reception that Johnson is likely to receive during the coming years of fraught negotiations with the 27 other European Union foreign ministers, nearly all of whom personally blame him for the chaos unleashed by the British decision to leave the bloc.
“May God help him and reform him”, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told the BBC on Wednesday, before Johnson’s appointment was announced.
Advertisement
Her move bravery or folly, time will tell means the publicity-dependent Johnson will be able to command TV news coverage with a series of foreign trips. Angela Eagle, who is challenging party leader Jeremy Corbyn for his job, was making a campaign speech when a member of the audience shouted out the news. It is not clear if he will try to fit the traditional mold of Britain foreign secretary or retain his capricious approach to diplomatic niceties.
