in their own words

world leaders respond to bush victory

Jesus Perez, Venezuelan Foreign Minister

We will hope that in this second mandate we can improve our relations.

We are dancing the tango. When you are dancing the tango and your toe is stepped on, hurting your toe, you complain. If it is stepped on harder, you complain again. There's a whole game, but we are prepared to continue dancing the tango.

Aleksander Kwasniewski, Polish President

From the point of view of Poland's interests, further co-operation with George W Bush is good news. I hope that this will also mean increased activity in bilateral affairs, as they lacked sufficient engagement.

Moody Awori, Kenyan Vice-President

I am a little bit apprehensive because the first term of Bush, he had come in as a lame duck.

Now it appears as if he is winning very convincingly. To me, I think we are going to see more dictatorship on an international scale. We are going to see more extremism come out of there.

We are going to see even more isolationism where America will not bother about the United Nations. To me that is a very sad affair.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spanish Prime Minister

I would like to express the desire of the Spanish government to contribute to a relationship based on efficient and constructive co-operation with the government of the United States, with President Bush.

Ehud Olmert, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister

Mr Kerry would have been a very friendly president to Israel as he proved to be for a long time in the Senate. Now that Mr Bush is elected, we are very happy and we congratulate the American people for their choice.

Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian President

I am pleased to congratulate you on your re-election as US president for a second term.

We hope that Mr Bush's new administration, together with the European Union, can bring influence to bear to arrive at a peaceful development in the [Middle East] region.

Jan Peter Balkenende, Dutch Prime Minister and EU President

The United States and the European Union are linked by strong cultural, economic and political ties, and by our shared values. This makes us each other's natural and indispensable partners.

Javier Solana, EU foreign affairs chief

Together, Europe and the United States face many critical challenges in the years ahead. As in the past, our best hope for success lies in common action.

Gerhard Schroeder, German Chancellor

The world stands before great challenges at the beginning of your second term: international terrorism, the danger of weapons of mass destruction, regional crises - but also poverty, climate change and epidemics threaten our security and stability.

These challenges can only be mastered together.

I will continue the good and close co-operation that we have. This is in the interests of the United States as well as those of Germany and Europe.

Hu Jintao, Chinese President

Both China and the United States are great countries and share a wide range of common interests and basis for co-operation.

I look forward to continuing to work together with you to further promote the development of the constructive co-operative relations between China and the United States.

TO SUM IT UP: 'holy shit, this sucks.'