Theresa May’s first day and Boris at the Foreign Office: How the foreign press reacted

A new British Prime Minister is always big news on the continent and around the world. This time around, with Mrs May tasked with redefining Britain’s relationship with the EU, the foreign press has taken a special interest in recent events in Downing Street. One of the big stories aside from Britain’s new Prime Minister taking up her role is Theresa May’s decision to make Boris Johnson Foreign Secretary. Here’s how the press around the world reacted to the news:

France:

With France bracing itself for a protracted period of arduous negotiations with the UK, Britain’s new Prime Minister is big news across the Channel. Le Figaro goes as far as to brand Theresa May Britain’s new ‘Iron Lady’. Describing her as ‘modest’ and ‘pragmatic’, the newspaper suggests that her decision to appoint Boris Johnson to the ‘legendary’ Foreign Office shows her conciliatory side. Mr Johnson will probably have ‘less influence’ over the EU negotiations, the paper notes, pointing to the decision by May to appoint a ‘Minister for Brexit’.