In January 2025, Donald Trump will take over as US president. Many Europeans have major reservations about him and surveys show that a large majority of EU citizens would have voted for Kamala Harris. The press examines what the election result means for Europe.
Nightmare scenario for Brussels
Trump's victory has caught the EU and Nato off guard, says the Tages-Anzeiger (Switzerland):
“Doubt resonates that Donald Trump is really the man who favours cooperation. For him there is only one winner, and it has to be America. During the election campaign he said he would introduce all kinds of tariffs to protect the US economy from competition, which are also likely to hurt Europe's economy. The nightmare scenario for Brussels and most European governments has become reality. Now the EU and Nato will pay the price for not having properly prepared for his comeback.”
Perhaps a salutary shock
Trump's re-election also opens up opportunities for Europeans, Echo24 (Czech Republic) observes:
“Europe will certainly not have it easy with the change of the American administration. It's to be expected that Donald Trump will fiercely defend American interests. After the economic downturn already caused by the implementation of the Green Deal, US tariffs stand to come as a further big blow. But all this could lead to a change in EU policy and a forced shock treatment. The US has saved Europe many times, and paradoxically, Trump's convincing victory in the election could be helpful.”
Which Europe do we want to defend?
De Morgen (Belgium) voices doubts about whether Europe is clear about its own identity:
“The biggest risk is that we Europeans overestimate the robustness of our own welfare states and rule of law. If Trump does business with Putin et al. and erodes the rule of law in his own country, will we Europeans still defend our liberal democracy with one voice? Election results from Germany to Sweden and governments from Italy to the Netherlands suggest otherwise. Yes, we will need to invest in our own defence. But more fundamental is the question of exactly which Europe, which Union we want to defend. The answer to this question can no longer be non-committal.”
EU must hit the ground running
The Frankfurter Rundschau (Germany) also sees Europe insufficiently prepared for another Trump presidency:
“The EU can only survive in a harsher world if it finally initiates long-delayed reforms such as abolishing the unanimity principle in order to speed up political decisions. ... The member states will only be able to prevent losses in trade with their most important partner, the US, if they bind themselves more closely to the US. This in turn will exacerbate the conflict with China. Potential declines in European exports would then have to be compensated for by Europe tapping into other markets in Africa and Asia. Defence policy remains the biggest challenge for the EU member states. Trump will once again demand that the Europeans invest more money in their armies.”
A boost for Moscow's Trojan horses
Anti-European forces will now sense an opportunity, G4Media.ro (Romania) fears:
“Tomorrow all of Moscow's useful idiots will turn into big pro-Americans. ... This will increase the ideological confusion and help Russia to disguise its whisperers as pro-Americans. The fact that Trump is encouraging sovereigntist movements is not good news for Romania [on the brink of presidential and parliamentary elections]. They consist mainly of extremist, anti-European and anti-Western parties like the AUR party in Romania or Fidesz in Hungary. Orbán is already Russia's Trojan horse in the EU, and as of today he is now also Trump's apostle. In short, Trump's victory also means the 'normalisation' of these characters.”
Who will lead the West now?
Rzeczpospolita (Poland) sees a vacuum:
“There is currently no politician in Europe who would be able to take over the leadership of the Western community if Trump, in line with his isolationist doctrine, leaves the position vacant. France and Germany are in the throes of serious political crises. The British prime minister may have a strong mandate after the last election, but he's unlikely to be able to provide such leadership outside the EU. In Poland, the government of Donald Tusk and foreign minister Radosław Sikorski have a strong mandate, but the question is whether the domestic challenges they face will allow them to seize the historic opportunity and punch well above our weight.”