Trump and the legitimization of the European far right
In the European Union, theUnited States National Security Strategy The policies adopted by the Trump administration have backfired spectacularly. Washington has fully embraced the narrative of the European far right, portraying a continent in decline, beset by mass immigration, and teetering on the brink of civilizational collapse. The document points to the EU as the source of these ills, arguing that it undermines the sovereignty of European nations and promotes immigration policies that are "transforming" Europe and eroding national identities. To prevent this, the document advocates supporting "patriotic" forces to correct the continent's course and cultivate resistance against the current trajectory within European countries.
Some European political forces are trying to avoid interpreting it as either an act of aggression or a declaration of interference in the internal affairs of the EU and its member states. Others have interpreted it as a validation of their position and a justification for maintaining a disruptive stance toward the EU.
Given this dual interpretation of what the ESN entails, two realities stand out. First, the incredulity with which some EU member states and leaders view the United States. US interference did not begin with Trump, nor has Europe always been treated as an ally. The United States spied on former German Chancellor Merkel from 2002 to 2013;Inflation Reduction Act It was adopted without considering European interests, as was the unilateral withdrawal from Afghanistan; while AUKUS, the military alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, was negotiated behind their backs. With Trump's second term, the interference has only increased: Vance at the Munich Security Conference, Elon Musk during the German elections, and Trump in the Polish and Romanian elections. The strategy makes it clear that there are no longer allies, only interests. And the appeasement response practiced by member states, both on the golf course and at the NATO summit in The Hague, has not worked.
Secondly, it's worth noting the impact that far-right parties have had on Trump's statements, as their support is not absolute. They share the analysis, but there is a point of rejection regarding US oversight. Orbán has taken this as a validation of his ongoing dispute with Brussels, Both regarding the state of democracy in Hungary and its relations with Russia, Meloni, without addressing the Russian issue, understands the call for EU autonomy in security matters, but rejects the notion that this constitutes interference; rather, he agrees with some of the statements about Europe. Bardella has stated that he shares many of the warnings about Europe contained in the strategy, but that he doesn't need the American big brother lecturing him about his country, while the Polish Law and Justice party (PiS) buys into the narrative of European decline. The AfD has responded by saying that it shares the struggle for a conservative revival. Similarly, the far-right parties, as with the agreement signed last summer by Von der Leyen, also denounce the EU's surrender to Trump.
Mutual benefit
The beneficial relationship between Trump and European far-right parties can be explained by two reasons: firstly, they gain international exposure for a shared ideology; and secondly, it allows them to criticize the EU as a useless organization that fails to defend the sovereignty of European nations. The fact that Trump legitimizes this discourse is politically advantageous for the European far right, even though they acknowledge that while Trump may be good for the United States, he is not necessarily good for Europe.
The position that remains unexplained is that of the European leaders who practice appeasement. The Trump administration document puts into writing what US foreign policy had been signaling: that the United States is not the benevolent hegemonic power the EU thought it was. Now that Washington is prepared to intervene when necessary to support European "patriotic" forces, the question arises: will the US prevail?America FirstEurope no longer needs any more wake-up callsIt's time to get up.
