“How Boris Johnson Could Lose Power Over a Party in His Garden,” ran a headline in The New York Times. The newspaper observed that two “grand British institutions” – the monarchy and the Government – had “pitched simultaneously into crisis” with the scandals surrounding the Prime Minister and Prince Andrew.
The Washington Post’s Henry Olsen said Mr Johnson looked like a “dead man walking“, while CNN host Kaitlan Collins said the jeers and laughter in reaction to his apology constituted a “remarkable scene”. CBS News said the Prime Minister “faced the most serious questions of his time in office”.
Spanish newspaper El Pais was saying that the Conservative Party had begun to organise “the fall of the prime minister“.
La Razon, a right-wing Spanish daily, observed on Tuesday that Mr Johnson’s “infinite arrogance, typical of the British aristocracy and upper bourgeoisie” explained his mistakes. The Prime Minister has gone from a “quirky” character to a “boorish jester“, the newspaper concluded.
Commentator Rafael Ramos noted in Catalonia’s La Vanguardia that Mr Johnson “may fall not because of Brexit, or his management of the pandemic, his attacks on democracy and his disregard for international treaties, but because of organising banned parties”, adding: “Downing Street, by the looks of it, has been a permanent party for the last two years"
Italy’s La Repubblica said that Mr Johnson would be remembered for a cheese and wine gathering rather than Brexit, headlining its story: “The forbidden party that kills ‘King Boris‘”. NRC Handelsblad in the Netherlands added that “Boris Johnson’s supporters think it’s time for him to leave“.
French daily Libération said this week that Mr Johnson was trying “everything to save his skin” amid a flood of damaging revelations. “The party is over, and so are the jokes,” said the left-leaning newspaper. “The cascading revelations of corruption cases involving his party, as well as illegal evenings held in his residence in 2020 led him to this dangerous 12 days.”
Le Monde remarked that “feverishness is at its height in Downing Street”. A comment piece in the French newspaper said, “Boris Johnson’s contempt for the rules enacted under his own authority rightly causes intense anger”, calling the scandal scandal “clearly one too many” and suggesting it marked “the beginning of the end of Mr Johnson’s thunderous reign over British politics. This time, the contempt for the people is flagrant.”
Le Figaro said fellow Conservatives were “sharpening their knives”, and asked: “Will Boris Johnson go down in UK history as the leader who got Brexit done or as an amateur politician sunk by his taste for partying?”
German newspaper Bild headlined its story on Dominic Cummings on Wednesday, “Revenge of the Dark Lord of Downing Street“, claiming the dispute was becoming personal “and really dirty too!”
Le Soir in Belgium, meanwhile, compared Mr Johnson to tennis star Novak Djokovic, commenting: “Both have apologised and must take responsibility for faults”.
“He partied as the rest of his country was locked up at home,” said a report on Indian news channel World is One News (WION). “Now he is toast and the party is over”.