After his ministry “exploded” with the surprise resignations of Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid, leaving him “hanging by a thread,” Boris Johnson’s career “looks finished.”
Today, as columnists throughout the continent opined on how much time the Prime Minister has left in power, that is the pessimistic assessment of the Prime Minister’s future from the European press.
They concluded: Not long.
The Italians’ opinion was perhaps the most severe, given they had experienced a rocky few years themselves and can speak from personal experience about what a failing administration looks like.
One of the biggest and most reputable newspapers in the nation, La Repubblica, with the headline, “Boris Johnson trembles, which is why his career actually appears over.”
Rival newspaper Corriere della Sera noted that Johnson’s administration is “hanging by a thread,” and news agency Ansa claimed that Downing Street is “in tatters” following the surprise resignations.
Spanish broadsheet El Pais summarised a dramatic day by writing, “Boris Johnson’s government bursts due to the flow of scandals that corner the prime minister.”
The newspaper’s London correspondent, Rafael de Miguel, declared that the resignations “signal the beginning of the death of Boris Johnson” and accused him of hastily installing Nadim Zahawi as chancellor to “stop the leaks” in his cabinet.
Miguel continues, “With Zahawi by his side, he may survive, at least until after the summer, but he will undoubtedly sink sooner or later due to the ‘constant calamities’ that surround Mr. Johnson.
Britain “falls into a government crisis,” according to Tagesspiegel, the biggest newspaper in Berlin, because “under Johnson’s leadership, the Conservative Party is neither viewed by the public as value-led, nor does it serve the national interest.”
The newspaper’s headline, which quotes Tory MP Andrew Bridgen who spoke out against Mr. Johnson last night, reads, “It’s time for Boris to go.”
The political editor of the Irish Examiner, Daniel McConnell, wrote an editorial in which he said that Mr. Johnson’s “days are numbered.”
Mr. McConnell says that any typical prime minister would have resigned when two of his most important ministers left the government, but Boris “is not typical.”
He is a chronic cheat, a liar, and a cad who has, according to the writer, avoided several scandals in the past.
But according to Mr. McConnell, it now seems “probable” that Mr. Johnson will meet his “inevitable demise.”
He further states that the Irish government, which is already constrained by disagreements over the customs checks that Mr. Johnson committed to implement after Brexit, “would be absolutely pleased to see him depart.”
The Irish Times’ headline reads, “Boris is fighting to save his leadership,” while the Irish Independent writes, “Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid’s resignations mark the end for Boris.”
La Vanguardia in Spain claims Johnson is “reeling,” while Der Spiegel in Germany claims he is “on the verge.”
The Prime Minister is “weakened,” according to French publications Le Figaro and Le Monde, as “the ranks of dissidents continue to expand.”
Johnson refuses to quit Downing Street, according to the headline of the only newspaper with anything even remotely positive to say about him, Germany’s Die Welt.
The newspaper reports that the Prime Minister “showed no signs of resigning his post as of Tuesday night,” implying that Mr. Johnson might stake everything on a snap election that would give him a mandate to stay in office.
The publication continues, “The Conservative Party must confront the urgent question of how hazardous Johnson is now to its own power.”