The U.S. is witnessing a great shift in power as the results from the midterm elections are announced, and the international press and public is watching closely. The Democrats have won control of the House of Representatives in the U.S., granting them a check of President Trump's power and policy. The Republicans, meanwhile, have kept the Senate.
Both sides have claimed the result as a victory with Trump tweeting about the "tremendous success tonight." But he will know that the result will allow Democrats, who could control the House for the first time since 2010, to thwart or frustrate his more controversial social and economic policies.
A Democratic majority in the House, which is likely to see House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi return to the office of speaker, will grant Democrats investigative powers and they could even move to impeach the president, although it's not seen as a likely outcome for now. Pelosi advocated unity and bi-partisanship in a victory speech Tuesday night, saying the result would allow Democrats to restore "checks and balances to the Trump administration."
Global media outlets -- many of whom lambasted frequently by Trump and accused of 'fake news' if he doesn't like their reporting - are focusing on the results as they continue to emerge, but the reaction and comment is starting to come thick and fast. Here's a selection of the international media's reaction to the result.
'One-party rule is over'
Major newspaper outlets in the States are leading with the main event - the fact that the Democrats have retaken the House of Representatives.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) headlines with "Democrats retake House after eight years of GOP Rule" and The New York Times' (NYT) news website had a similar headline, with "Democrats capture House as Republicans maintain Senate majority" and the website of The Washington Post led with "Democrats flip the seats needed to control House; GOP holds Senate."
Opinion pieces on the papers' news websites are focusing how the results highlights divisions in the U.S. and how Trump's presidency will be affected -- the NYT proclaimed Wednesday that "one-party rule in Washington is over" but the WSJ said there were "silver linings aplenty" for Trump - while other commentators in the U.S. and beyond are pointing to both the potential for more cooperation -- and conflict.
There were also a variety of comments on a number of historic "firsts" in the midterms, such as the first two Muslim women to be elected to the House.
The LA Times pointed to Trump's "heated attacks" on opponents and immigrants as a key reason for the Democrats' success, others pointed to healthcare and gun control as reasons for the Democratic boost.
Reckonings and blue waves
Media outlets outside the U.S. have also been closely following the Midterms and Wednesday's results, seeing the vote as a referendum on Trump's time in power.
The U.K.'s right-leaning newspaper The Telegraph reported the results on its front page and noted that a lot of U.S. voters had been driven to vote (either way) by Trump's policies on healthcare and immigration, with one commentator noting that "for all our outrage over Trump, the West simply cannot take more mass immigration."
The paper also noted that the much-vaunted "Blue wave" for Democrats had failed to materialize. France 24's White House Correspondent Philip Crowther called the victory more of a "Blue ripple."
Meanwhile, the left-leaning U.K. newspaper The Guardian said Trump had to prepare for a "reckoning." An opinion piece by columnist Richard Wolffe in the paper echoed those across the Atlantic, stating that Trump's "unchecked hold on power has come to an end."
Italy's Corriere della Sera's front page was headlined with the statement that America was "divisa in due" (divided in two) and said Trump now faced an impeachment risk, noting that Democrats would now have the power to potentially launch investigations into the president and summon witnesses if desired. There are already expectations that Democrats could call for investigations into Trump's tax affairs.
Germany's Der Spiegel leads with the Democrats victory in the House and has commentary from its Chief Correspondent Roland Nelles, stating that Trump's defeat is a "good day for America" while Spain's El Pais newspaper remarked on a "weaker Trump" after the vote.
German newspaper Welt (formerly, Die Welt) was more reflective, stating on its front page that the election was one "without a winner." It also questioned what the vote means for Trump, noting that while the Democrats now have "the means to block", impeach and investigate Trump, that strategy carried risks - especially any policy of blockading Trumpian legislation.
"With the presidential election campaign in 2020 starting right after the midterm election, Trump could hold the Democrats responsible if nothing moves forward. After all, Trump - like his predecessor Barack Obama - could by-pass his plans by decree. However, his successor can easily reverse them by order - just as Trump did with Obama's policy in part," Welt noted.
Russia's Kommersant newspaper carries election coverage in its World section, stating that the election has thrown light on the "unprecedented split in society" whereas the Izvestia broadsheet online carries a picture of a smiling Donald Trump hailing a "tremendous success."
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