European far-right leaders distance themselves from Trump after the Republicans’ defeat

Leaders of several far-right parties in Europe have begun distancing themselves from Donald Trump after Democrats won a majority in both chambers of the U.S. Congress in the November 3 elections. In their statements, they blamed the result on the war in Iran, American interventionism and rising fuel prices, avoiding directly associating the defeat with the U.S. president.

Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s National Rally, and Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany’s AfD, criticized Trump’s foreign policy. In Italy, Matteo Salvini and Roberto Vannacci cited the cost of living and the economic effects of the conflict. Vox leader Santiago Abascal said he was concerned with Spain’s politics, not Michigan’s.

In the United Kingdom, Rupert Lowe called the attack on Iran a “catastrophic mistake,” while Nigel Farage described the result as a categorical defeat for the Republicans. In contrast, Dan Dungaciu, deputy leader of AUR, argued that Trump is not automatically weakened, but will have to negotiate more intensively with a Congress controlled by the opposition.

Analyst Mujtaba Rahman believes that European leaders are trying to retain the ideological advantages of Trumpism without being associated with the economic chaos and loss of popularity of the Trump administration.