ALEX Salmond’s sudden death on Saturday, while at a conference event in North Macedonia, has sent shockwaves across Scotland and sparked headlines across the world.
The former first minister has been paid tribute by figures including King Charles – who hailed his “devotion to Scotland” – and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which featured in reports around the globe.
Here, The National has taken a closer look at how international media outlets – including those he worked with – reported on the death of Alex Salmond.
Le Monde
The French news paper reported that, after news of Salmond’s death broke, “reactions poured in from across the British political spectrum … paying tribute to one of the most significant figures in recent Scottish history”.
It also noted: “His career will be marked in particular by the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, a bitter defeat for the Yes camp that he led.”
Der Spiegel
The German-language magazine said Salmond had “shaped Scottish politics for over three decades, and suffered his worst defeat in the referendum on independence”.
It further said that the former first minister was “considered charismatic, but also controversial”, pointing to his show on the Kremlin-controlled RT.
El Confidencial
Spanish-language newspaper said Salmond had been called the “Braveheart of the 21st Century” as it noted “made history by managing to negotiate with the then Conservative Government of David Cameron the holding of a plebiscite on Scottish independence, which he almost won”.
It went on: “It was the high point of a career marked by historic achievements: the first Scottish nationalist to become first minister (2007), the first to win an absolute majority (2011) since the Edinburgh Parliament was formed in 1997, and the man who came close to achieving independence (2014).”
The New York Times
The global newspaper reported that Salmond “had led the Scottish National Party twice, guiding it from a fringe political group into a powerful force that won an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament in 2011”.
The US paper of record went on: “That movement fractured after a failed independence referendum and a multiyear saga in which Mr Salmond was accused of multiple sexual assaults and eventually acquitted. But he continued to campaign for the cause, and his influence in British politics persisted after he stepped down as first minister.”
It went on: “In 2019, Salmond was charged with sexual assault and attempted rape after allegations by nine women who had worked with him as first minister or for the party. Salmond called the charges 'deliberate fabrications for a political purpose'. Salmond was acquitted after a trial in March 2020.
“A year later, he created a new party called Alba — the Scottish Gaelic word for Scotland — that made few inroads into Scottish politics and sought a new independence referendum come what may.”
TRT World
The Turkish outlet, with which Salmond worked as a host, reported on his death under the headline: “TRT World host and former Scottish leader Alex Salmond dies at 69.”
It reported: “Widely recognised as one of the UK's shrewdest and most charismatic politicians of recent times, Salmond turned the SNP from a small party at Westminster into Scotland's dominant political force.
“His combative nature saw his fame spread beyond the UK. A dispute with Donald Trump led the former US president to call him ‘Mad Alex’.”
The Times of India
The newspaper reported that, after his death, Salmond had been “hailed by figures across the political spectrum for his tireless work and contributions to Scottish and UK politics”.
It went on: "Despite his political career facing setbacks, including a high-profile trial in 2018 over sexual misconduct accusations, Salmond was cleared of all charges in a 2020 trial. His long-standing influence on Scottish politics remains undeniable."
RT
The Russian outlet, with which Salmond hosted a show until its suspension in 2022 following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, said that after the 2014 referendum loss Salmond had “continued to advocate for the developing world, and against what he called Western ‘military adventurism’”.
RT noted: “After losing his seat to Conservative candidate Colin Clark in 2017, Salmond turned to broadcasting. ‘The Alex Salmond Show’ was aired on RT from November 2017 until February 2022, when it was suspended in the wake of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
“Salmond then began broadcasting ‘Scotland Speaks with Alex Salmond’ on multiple social media platforms, until it was picked up by Turkish broadcaster TRT earlier this year.”
