President of the United States Donald Trump and his ideological allies in Europe are convinced that the future is on their side — that they can surf the historical wave, carrying everything that was before and changing the landscape.
It is easy to realize why they think this will be the case: in the United States Trump had a decisive electoral victory, winning in the general vote and pushing Democrats aside in all fluctuating conditions. Now the MEGA movement is going crazy. Trump and his best friend Elon Musk They're demolishing government agencies, and legislature has so far allowed them to. Courts are holding up for now, but how much longer?
In the meantime, on this side of the Atlantic, right-wing populists and conservatives made the nation major advancement in the European elections last summer. Admittedly, this was not the tremendous increase that populists predicted. The voters continued mostly to support centrists and the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen may have announced that the ‘centre is holding on’ — although this does not warrant that it will be so next time.
Right-wing nationalist parties have besides achieved good results at national level. 7 EU associate States — Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and Slovakia — presently have populist governments or coalition partners. And in the February elections in Germany the far right organization Alternative to Germany It doubled its voter support to 20.8%, making it the second largest force in the Bundestag.
Trump vs. Canada
Trump was of course expected to give this populist wave extra strength, starting a fresh Nationalist MEGA-style transatlantic project — or at least that's what his global associates thought. But approaching parliamentary elections in Canada should be an obstacle to this triumphism.
A fewer months ago, nobody gave the Liberal organization of Canada a chance to win. After a decade of power, the Liberal government looked worn out, and in the face of the crisis of surviving costs and affordable housing prices, public support fell from the cliff.
Meanwhile, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre seemed the hero of the front pages of the newspapers. His plan to abolish the controversial coal taxation was making progress, with Canada's promise to return to a "healthy policy". His organization looked prepared for a comfortable victory.
However, ‘51st State’ Trump and commercial sanctions, all of which have become questionable.
With the Prime Minister Mark Carney. Poilievre’s lead in the polls disappeared in a flash. This is partially due to increased support for the Liberals after erstwhile Prime Minister's resignation Justin Trudeau But Trump doesn't do the Conservative leader any favors. Poilievre is now trying to transform himself into a “hardy man” who can face a “wise man” south of the border.
Europe is similar
It turns out Trump is not the blessing his allies hoped for. Threatening Denmark on Greenland, publishing instigating posts interfering with interior European politics and continuous economical pushes are not going well — as is its tilt toward Moscow.
Hatred lectures by the vice president of the United States J. D. Vance on democracy and the fresh message that the real threat to Europe comes “not from Russia, not from China, not from any another external actor”, but from within, neither do they meet with approval. Even British Nigel Farage — for a long time Trump's ally — had to rapidly distance himself from Vance after this 1 seemed to reject Britain as “some random country that hadn't fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”
Moreover, Vance’s contempt for Europe and another advanced - ranking American officials controversial chat on SignalI don't think it's going to give the administration the sympathy of most Europeans..
Conservative national leaders on the continent so face dilemma: Criticize Trump or don't support him, risking angry outbursts or inviting to actions that will harm your country. Or not to distance and not to welcome the problem Poilievre is facing.
SAUL LOEB/AFP / AFPDonald Trump, 28 March 2025.
‘shocking and grotesque’
This dilemma is even sharper for national conservatives in Western Europe and any Nordic countries, where polls propose that voters definitely do not support Trump and see him as a threat. Adding Trump's strategy to this in Ukraine and humiliation of president Volodymyr Zelenski in the Oval Office, you can realize why populist leaders in these geographic regions are beginning to cut off from each other.
For example, the leader of the right-wing Danish Democrats Inger Støjberg described what happened in the Oval Office as “shocking and grotesque”. Jimmie Akesson of Swedish Democrats noted that Trump did not show "clear support for Ukraine fighting in the defence war for the existence of its nation". French Marine Le Pen She called the halting of military aid to Kiev “revealed and cruel”.
However, in any east European countries, where there is more sympathy for Russia, solidarity with Trump remains clear to populist leaders. Take, for example, Polish Sławomir Mentzen, who claims that Poles should halt allowing Kiev to treat them as “suckers”. In addition, the politician has advanced ratings before the May presidential election. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has long been a supporter of both Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin, besides has nothing to fear.
Italian dilemma
However, the worst dilemma seems to concern the Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni. Taking care of the balance between Brussels and Washington, while considering himself as Trump's whisperer, Meloni must be careful.
According to the YouGov poll at the beginning of this period 63% of Italians have an unfavourable opinion about Trump — This is simply a lower percent than in the UK (80%), but it is inactive not an indicator that Meloni can ignore. And on Wednesday, before Trump announced “the day of liberation”, the Italian leader — who was comparatively muted in her criticism of advertised American customs — changed her tone, informing that American tariffs would harm cheese, prosciutto and wine producers in her country.
The MEGA and Trump allies in Europe have a possible problem. Although they may be revolutionaries who want to reject what is known and form a fresh order, many voters have turned to them for the other reason — they want to reconstruct what is known and predictable. They miss returning to old ways and restoring national cohesion and identity.
For them, the way of demolition is disturbing — and threatens to react.
