LONDON (AP) — He won, and the word “phew” trended worldwide on Twitter. Despite a hard-fought campaign in the United States, there was never any contest overseas.

Gone are the days when President Barack Obama was seen as a youthful, messianic figure capable of magically curing the world’s woes. But he remains widely popular, and his triumph reassured many who feared an abrupt change in U.S. policy could spell trouble.

Even Tom McGrath, president of Republicans Abroad France, conceded: “It’s clear that if they could vote, Europe would vote 80 percent for Obama.”