BRUSSELS - French President Emmanuel Macron and Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin voiced hope on Thursday that the next British leader would bring stability to the country after Liz Truss resigned just six weeks into the job.
Privately, some EU diplomats have aired a touch of schadenfreude about the political chaos in Britain, which exited the European Union in 2020 with lingering divorce frictions.
However, speaking to reporters just before an EU summit as news of Truss's exit broke, leaders expressed sympathy.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he had agreed on a range of issues with Truss and noted that her successor would be the fifth British leader he would deal with during his term.
Others expressed hope that the successor would prove a stable partner as Europe faces twin crises of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and record-high energy price.
Macron, whom Truss had referred to as not clearly "friend or foe", said it was important Britain found stability as soon as possible.
"We want, above all else, stability," he told reporters as he arrived at the summit in Brussels. "On a personal level, I am always sad to see a colleague go."
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin highlighted Ireland's close economic ties with Britain and expressed hope that Britain would select a new prime minister as soon as possible.
"Stability is important during these times when a major war is under way on the continent in Europe," he said.