European far-right leaders have begun distancing themselves from Donald Trump after the Democrats’ victory in the U.S. midterm elections. The Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, while politicians from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom linked the result primarily to the war with Iran, international tensions and the rising cost of living.
The shift is significant, as many of these leaders supported Trump after his victory in 2024. Some of them visited Washington and received support from Elon Musk. Now, however, the criticism is directed mainly at the consequences of the U.S. president’s policies rather than at Trump himself.
The war with Iran as a reason for the defeat
Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s National Rally, said that Trump’s second term was less isolationist than his first. In his view, the U.S. intervention in Iran had led to serious consequences for economies around the world.
Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany’s Alternative for Germany, also linked the Republicans’ defeat to the war. “Trump promised his voters that he would not pursue an interventionist foreign policy. This unfulfilled promise is now turning against the Republicans,” she said.
Trump himself acknowledged that the war with Iran had played a role in the electoral losses, but stressed that he continued to defend the decision to launch the military operation.
Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the League, Matteo Salvini, said that the result had been influenced mainly by wars, international tensions and the rising cost of living. According to him, the consequences directly affect families, and the vote could accelerate the end of the conflicts.
An attempt at political distancing
Former Italian general Roberto Vannacci, who leads the Futuro Nazionale party, said that the result showed the dangers of failing to deliver on campaign promises. “Trump failed to live up to expectations, was unable to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, and started a war against Iran,” he said.
Vannacci also pointed to rising energy prices, economic turmoil and instability in the stock markets as factors that had affected the U.S. middle class.
According to Mujtaba Rahman, managing director at the Eurasia Group, Europe’s far-right leaders are distancing themselves from Trump with a clear political objective. In his words, they want to preserve “the ideological momentum of Trumpism” without being associated with the chaos and economic upheaval during the U.S. presidency.
“Trump’s growing unpopularity risks turning what was once a political asset into an electoral liability,” Rahman said.He warned that the reaction could come at a cost for European parties if Trump and his allies in the MAGA movement withdraw their political support or turn against them.
Not all European representatives see the election result as the beginning of the end for Trump. Dan Dungaciu of Romania’s Alliance for the Union of Romanians said that claims of his “political death” were exaggerated. According to him, the president is moving from governing with a Republican majority to a period of stronger checks between the White House and Congress.
The leader of Spain’s Vox, Santiago Abascal, said: “I am in Spain, not Michigan.” Rupert Lowe of the British party Reform UK described the attack on Iran as “a catastrophic mistake” and asked what the war had achieved. In his view, the answer was: “Absolutely nothing of value.”
Sources: news.bg, investing.com