WOLFENBUTTLE: German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said today that the UK vote reflected popular discontent over Prime Minister Theresa May's hard Brexit strategy, which he said should be reconsidered.
"The message from this vote is - hold fair talks with the EU and think again whether it is really good for Britain to leave the EU in this manner," he told reporters.
He added that he hoped "a new government will be formed quickly with which we can hold serious negotiations".
A foreign ministry spokesman said that May had campaigned for "a strong majority for a hard Brexit" and that this "was not the outcome of the election", in which the British PM lost her majority.
A spokeswoman for Chancellor Angela Merkel meanwhile declined to comment on the election until a new government is formed, while the German leader was a on a tour of Argentina and Mexico.