Brexit is, unsurprisingly, continuing to dominate the front pages of the newspapers overseas for a second day in a row. Whereas many of yesterday’s European paper splashes focused on Britain’s decision to vote ‘Out’, though, the big question now is: what does this mean for us? Several front pages across the continent ask this question this morning, with others trying to address the issue of whether their own countries might follow suit with their own brand of Brexit. It’s clear that whilst Britain is now at a crossroads, so, too, is the rest of Europe. And many across the continent are waking up to that realisation today. Here’s how the front pages overseas are covering the story:
France:
Le Figaro describes Brexit as an ‘earthquake’: this is a word appearing on many front pages, including in the Times today. The newspaper goes on to say that Britain’s decision to exit the EU has plunged the continent into a ‘profound crisis’. Elsewhere in France, the country’s regional newspaper La Depeche says: ‘After Brexit, the hangover’. But the referendum result isn’t being taken so seriously in other papers in France. On the front of the country’s ‘Liberation’, a picture of Boris Johnson dangling from a zipwire is accompanied by the words: ‘Good luck’.
Germany:
Germany is likely to be amongst the most worried of our European neighbours by Britain’s decision to vote out of the European Union. The country has seen the UK as allies in a number of ways, not least in trying to keep down spiralling EU budgets. That concern is a key feature of the front pages in Germany this morning. ‘Dismay in Europe over Brexit decision’, says the Franfurter Allgemeeine. The country’s Suddeutsche Zeitung suggests that Brexit will lead to the ‘cracking’ of authority. Elsewhere, Germany’s ‘Taz.am Wochenen’ says sarcastically: ‘Well done, Little Britain’. Whilst ‘Der Spiegel’ magazine, which printed a special issue in English last week urging Britain not to leave, said simply: Europa is tot.
Italy:
Italians are also worried about the implications of Britain’s decision. In the familiar phrase repeated elsewhere, Il Gazzettino says Brexit is an ‘earthquake’. On the front page of Corriere Della Sera, Brexit has ‘hit’ Europe, the paper says. And Milan’s newspaper ‘L’Unita’ plays with Nigel Farage’s declaration of yesterday as an independence day to call June 23rd ‘Disintegration day’.
Spain:
The Spanish press greets Brexit today with doom and gloom. El Pais says that Britain’s move to quit the European Union threatens the European Project as well as unity across the continent. Whilst Spain’s La Vanguardia focuses on the ‘great challenge’ now facing Europe. In a country blighted by soaring levels of uneployment, Brexit isn’t seen universally as a bad decision, though. Spain’s La Razon says the referendum result suggests it is populism which has motivated Britain’s move to leave the European Union – touching on the talk across Europe switching from being about Brexit, to other variations such as ‘Flexit’ or ‘Spexit’.
Holland:
Holland has been a staunch ally of Britain and because of that our exit from the European Union is felt particularly closely in the Netherlands. That fact is reflected by the question on the front page of the country’s De Telegraaf, where ‘Nexit’ – a possible Dutch exit from the European Union – becomes the focus. There’s a variation of that theme on the front page of Poland’s newspaper ‘Fakt’, which asks: Who’s next?
It’s not only European papers dominated by Brexit and the implications of Thursday’s vote, however. In the United States, Brexit is front page news across a range of papers. The New York Times describes the ‘global shocks’ felt following the decision. Whilst the Washington Post runs with ‘Brits’ vote to exit E.U. roils globe’.
Comments