Also outside the UK, a shower of sour comments about Boris Johnson’s departure. It really wasn’t just because of his lies, write Robert de Witt, but also because of his elite background. Johnson’s optimism and verbal fireworks do liven up political debate.

A clown. For example, Boris Johnson was depicted the most after his announcement last week that he was giving up. Authoritative British Magazine The Economist come with the cover cryin’clown fall‘, which features a photo of Johnson dangling in a suit, waving uncomfortably with two British flags and wearing a slightly oversized helmet, the result of spectacular stunts at the 2012 London Olympics opening that went badly wrong. Boris kept smiling, in the midst of his failure.

The image represents him. Always ready for a publicity stunt, which reassures him of media attention. As a former journalist, Johnson knows – and does – how it works. The seriousness and solemnity that seemed to belong to statesmen and women were not for Johnson. He prefers to improvise. Before starting the TV interview, he first ruffled his hair. It fits the image better.

Biggest election win in decades

The verdict on the prime minister’s brief tenure was pretty unanimous: as prime minister, Boris Johnson was a clown, who didn’t take politics seriously and just wanted to stay at 10 Downing Street to satisfy his own ego. In the end, he became a victim of the palace revolution. Johnson himself once likened the snake pits his parties to “the orgies of cannibalism and massacres like in Papua New Guinea.” Johnson had to apologize to the country in a tone that was both humorous and sinister: “I didn’t mean to offend the people of Papua New Guinea, who undoubtedly live decent civilian lives like us.”