European nations applauded Wednesday the US election victory by Democratic candidate Barack Obama, with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso calling for a `new deal`.

`This is a time for a renewed commitment between Europe and the United States of America,` Barroso said in a statement. `We need to change the current crisis into a new opportunity. We need a new deal for a new world.`

`I sincerely hope that with the leadership of President Obama, the United States of America will join forces with Europe to drive this new deal. For the benefit of our societies, for the benefit of the world,` he said.

The European Union led calls for a broad overhaul of global financial architecture to tackle the economic crisis and wants to launch the process at an international summit in Washington on November 15.

In particular, the bloc has been waiting to see what approach a new US president might take to tackle the financial malaise, which first erupted in the United States.

In Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy congratulated Obama for his `brilliant victory`, lavishing praise on the man set to become on January 20 the first black US president.

`By choosing you, the American people have chosen change, openness and optimism,` Sarkozy wrote in a letter.

`At a time when all of us must face huge challenges together, your election raises great hope in France, in Europe and elsewhere in the world.`

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, wished Obama great success and said his energy would be needed to build a safer world.

`France, Europe and the international community need his energy, his rejection of injustice and his determination to go forward to build a safer, fairer and more stable world,` said Kouchner.

`France and the European Union will stand ready to work closely with Barack Obama and with his administration within the framework of a renewed transatlantic partnership,` he said in a statement.

`Together, we must seize this historic opportunity to combine our efforts to meet the economic, climate and security challenges that also face us all,` said Kouchner, wishing Obama `the greatest possible success`.

In London British Prime Minister Gordon Brown congratulated Obama, hailing his `energising politics... his progressive values and his vision for the future`.

Europe`s ties with US President George W. Bush were regularly strained, and tensions among EU countries over the Iraq war were fuelled by his perceived preferrence for unilateral decision-making outside the United Nations.

Kouchner said that people around the world would `welcome the election of a man committed to dialogue between peoples and communities, and cooperation among nations.`

In Berlin, where 200,000 people turned out to hear Obama speak in July, Germans and Americans shared kisses, high-fives and hugs and brushed back tears of joy as he captured victory.

`I think Obama has another idea about what freedom means -- not the exclusive, divisive sense that Bush had for the word,` said Frank Schneider, a 39-year-old German businessman, who stayed up late for the result.

European nations have a long lost of grievances they will want to raise with Obama, after eight years of often-testy relations with the Bush administration.

They will hope the United States will now be ready to commit more fully to fight global warming, while cooperating more closely to help resolve the Middle East conflict and play a greater role in curbing Iran`s nuclear ambitions.