European Right-Wing Parties Turn Away From Donald Trump
Translated from Polish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- European right-wing parties are increasingly distancing themselves from Donald Trump, viewing him as a political liability.
- Polls show a significant majority of French, German, Italian, and British voters consider Trump dangerous, with approval ratings close to those for Vladimir Putin.
- Key events like the "Iranian campaign" (likely referring to the impact of the war in Ukraine on energy prices) and Trump's criticism of Pope Leo XIV have alienated European allies.
A palpable shift is underway across Europe's political landscape, with right-wing parties beginning to distance themselves from former U.S. President Donald Trump. Once a figure of admiration for some on the continent, Trump is now increasingly perceived as a political liability, a sentiment echoed by a prominent Konfederacja politician who stated, "He who makes deals with Donald Trump loses power or deprives himself of the chance to gain it." This growing aversion is particularly potent for parties like PiS, which have historically maintained loyalty to the White House, now finding themselves at a polling disadvantage.
He who makes deals with Donald Trump loses power or deprives himself of the chance to gain it.
Recent polling data from YouGov paints a stark picture of Trump's declining popularity in Europe. A staggering 78% of French, 86% of Germans, 80% of Italians, and a similar percentage of Britons view Trump unfavorably. Alarmingly, 73% of respondents across democratic Europe consider Trump dangerous, a figure only nine percentage points lower than for Vladimir Putin. This dramatic erosion of support, which has been building for months, has been exacerbated by events such as trade disputes with the EU and his controversial attempt to purchase Greenland. The recent surge in fuel prices and inflation, attributed by some to his foreign policy, and his public criticism of Pope Leo XIV, have further alienated European leaders and electorates.
It turns out that 78% of the French, 86% of the Germans, 80% of the Italians, and the same number of Britons are reluctant to refer to Donald Trump.
The fallout from Trump's political influence is evident in recent electoral outcomes. The spectacular defeat of Viktor Orbรกn in Hungary, despite receiving support from U.S. officials like Senator Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance, underscores the diminishing returns of aligning with Trump. Similarly, Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister who had previously sought to mediate between European leaders and Washington, found herself publicly rebuked by Trump over her country's energy policies. These instances highlight a growing realization among European right-wing parties that maintaining a distance from Trump may be a more viable path to political success than continued allegiance.
A total of 73% of respondents in democratic Europe believe that Trump is dangerous.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Rzeczpospolita in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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