British Prime Minister Theresa May completed a major overhaul of the government Thursday, promoting leading Brexit campaigners and stunning observers by picking gaffe-prone Boris Johnson as her top diplomat. After six years as interior minister under David Cameron, May took office on Wednesday signalling her intention to start with a clean slate - before ruthlessly ejecting some of her former colleagues.
Finance minister George Osborne was replaced by foreign minister Philip Hammond, while two eurosceptics were brought in to take control of Britain's exit from the European Union. EU leaders have lined up to congratulate May, whose appointment brings some stability three tumultuous weeks after the June 23 referendum, but urged her to move quickly in implementing the vote to leave.
The result has sparked turmoil on financial markets and sent shockwaves throughout British and European politics, including forcing Cameron to step down. At its first meeting since the referendum, the Bank of England's monetary policy committee decided to keep interest rates unchanged at 0.50 percent, although it signalled a possible cut in August.
In a bid to reassure markets, May appointed a safe pair of hands as finance minister. Hammond was due to meet Bank of England governor Mark Carney Thursday, as well as visiting US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew. But she sprung a surprise by appointing Johnson, the former mayor of London who had appeared consigned to the political wilderness after backing out of the Conservative leadership contest.
He is well-known for using his sharp wit and his newspaper columns to savage others, once describing White House hopeful Hillary Clinton as a "sadistic nurse in a mental hospital". During the referendum campaign, he compared the EU's ambitions for closer integration to Hitler's plans to rule the continent. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Johnson had "lied a lot" in the EU campaign but said he was not concerned about his unconventional manner, telling Europe 1 radio that was "his style".
Europe's media reacted with incredulity to the appointment, with Germany's Die Welt describing him as "undiplomatic, unpredictable and disloyal".
Others noted that he will not be in charge of EU exit negotiations - and may still yet prove himself. "Yes, he's got some apologies to make, but as the UK's salesman, he'll do a stand-up job," said Simon Usherwood, senior politics lecturer at the University of Surrey. Johnson himself said he was "humbled", adding: "We have a massive opportunity in this country to make a great success of our new relationship with Europe and with the world."
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