Some far-right leaders in Europe are beginning to publicly distance themselves from Donald Trump and his policies, a notable shift from their previous alignment with the former U.S. president. This comes in the wake of recent midterm election results, which have led some European political figures to re-evaluate their associations.
Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, directly linked the Republican Party's midterm losses to Trump's campaign promises. "Trump had promised his voters he would not pursue an interventionist foreign policy," Weidel told Germany's T-online outlet. "This broken campaign promise has now come back to haunt the Republicans." She characterized the scale of the Republican defeat as "remarkable" and attributed it primarily to "the devastating consequences of the Iran war."
This commentary marks a departure for a party that previously welcomed support from the Trump administration, including a meeting between Weidel and then-Vice President J.D. Vance, and a virtual appearance by Elon Musk at an AfD campaign event. Trump himself had previously praised the AfD's performance in a German state election, citing their stance on immigration.
Jordan Bardella, president of France's far-right National Rally, also commented on the midterm losses, stating that the "American intervention in Iran" had resulted in "very heavy consequences" for global economies. He contrasted this with Trump's first term, where his ambition was to withdraw the United States from major global conflicts.
Experts note that the scale of the Republican defeat sent "shock waves across the continent." Georgios Samaras, an assistant professor of public policy at King's College London, suggested that "after two years of catastrophic economic management, [Trump’s] international standing is gone." He added that Trump’s loss could be perceived as "a gift to all liberals."
Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain's far-right Vox party, notably sidestepped questions about the U.S. midterms, stating his focus was on an upcoming snap election in Spain. This contrasts with his previous engagement with Trump, who had praised Abascal at the Conservative Political Action Conference and made a virtual appearance at a Vox rally.
The growing distance between Trump and some European far-right allies is not entirely new. Mujtaba Rahman, managing director for Europe at Eurasia Group, observed that "far-right leaders across the European continent have been distancing themselves from MAGA for quite some time." He cited that association with the "Trump brand, the MAGA brand, is an electoral liability" in the European Union, particularly in the aftermath of the war in Iran and its impact on cost-of-living issues.
Previous points of contention included Trump's threat to annex Greenland and his proposed tariffs on European allies, actions that drew criticism from figures like Bardella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Meloni also publicly disputed Trump's claim that she had "begged" for a photo at the G7 Summit.
The Iran war has particularly strained relations, as the conflict has led to soaring energy costs and exacerbated cost-of-living pressures in Europe. Matteo Salvini, Italy's deputy Prime Minister, expressed hope that the midterm losses would signal a halt to "interventionism around the world," attributing the U.S. election results to "wars, international tensions and the increase in the cost of living."
While some far-right parties may publicly cool their connections with Trump, experts believe these alliances are unlikely to disappear entirely, though they may become more covert. "I don't think they will radically distance themselves from Trump or anything like this,” said Aurélien Mondon, a professor of politics at the University of Bath. "But I think they will cool down the kind of links between the U.S. and their own parties and countries, at least [for] the moment.”