Brexit And Boris Johnson Mocked By French Newspaper Libèration's Front Page

'Good luck.'

A French newspaper has shown what it thinks of Brexit and the prospect of Boris Johnson becoming prime minister.

Johnson, whose post-modern, self-deprecating persona has won him popularity among voters, is now a favourite to succeed David Cameron as prime minister after Cameron resigned on Friday having failed to convince the British public to vote to stay in the EU.

Johnson, who was de facto leader of the Leave campaign, could now be Britain's chief executive in four months.

France's Libèration's front page for its Saturday edition is a picture of one of Johnson's most memorable photo opportunities, when he slid down a zip wire ahead of the London Olympics in 2012, waving two British flags, only to become stuck.

With the pound plummeting amid uncertainty over what Thursday's vote will ultimately mean, Libèration, a daily paper with a circulation of around 100,000 ran the photo with the headline: "GOOD LUCK", next to text describing the shock result and how it now focussed attention on Johnson.

The phrase 'laughing stock' came up more than once in reaction to the front.

In a speech on Friday, Johnson defended Cameron, calling him "brave and principled" for standing aside as party leader.

HuffPost UK's Paul Waugh described Johnson as "overwhelming favourite" to succeed Cameron in October.

He wrote: "When Johnson announced in February that he was backing Brexit, Johnson took as much of a gamble as Cameron had in calling the referendum in the first place.

"And given his popularity among the Tory grass roots, he will now surely get his reward."

Close

What's Hot