Trump's Greenland Gambit and NATO Comments Strain European Far-Right Alliances
Donald Trump's controversial attempt to acquire Greenland has driven a significant wedge between the US president and his ideological allies in Europe's far-right movements. This development marks a stark collision between previously unwavering admiration for Trump and one of the radical right's core tenets: national sovereignty.
From Admiration to Apprehension
Just over a year ago, Europe's far-right leaders enthusiastically welcomed Trump's return to the White House. They gathered in Madrid months later to applaud his America First agenda under the banner "Make Europe Great Again." However, Trump's Greenland brinkmanship has transformed that enthusiasm into growing unease among leaders and voters who formerly championed his aims.
The situation deteriorated further when Trump made disparaging remarks suggesting NATO allies' troops "stayed a little off the frontlines" during combat operations alongside US forces in Afghanistan. This comment has particularly piqued far-right patriotic sentiments across Europe, prompting an avalanche of criticism from previously supportive quarters.
Polling Reveals Significant Shift in Perception
Recent polling data illustrates the substantial impact of these developments on European political sentiment. Research published by the Paris-based European affairs debate platform Le Grand Continent reveals that between 18% and 25% of far-right voters in France, Germany, Italy and Spain now consider Trump an "enemy of Europe."
Perhaps most remarkably, between 30% and 49% of voters for far-right parties in these four countries stated they would support deploying European troops to Greenland if tensions with the United States were to escalate further. When asked to define Trump's foreign policy approach, between 29% and 40% of supporters of major far-right parties chose "recolonisation and the predation of global resources."
European Leaders Voice Unprecedented Criticism
Jordan Bardella, president of France's National Rally and Marine Le Pen's protege, who recently described Trump as "a wind of freedom," has dramatically shifted his position. He called Trump's pledge to seize Greenland "a direct challenge to the sovereignty of a European country" and urged European unity in response.
"When a US president threatens a European territory using trade pressure, it's not dialogue – it is coercion," Bardella stated during a European parliamentary debate. "Greenland represents a strategic pivot in a world returning to imperial logic. Yielding would establish a dangerous precedent."
Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany's Alternative für Deutschland, which previously hailed Trump's national security strategy as the dawn of a "conservative renaissance" in Europe, declared that the US president had "violated a fundamental campaign promise – not to interfere in other countries."
NATO Comments Spark Widespread Outrage
Trump's remarks about NATO allies' contributions in Afghanistan have generated near-universal outrage across the European political spectrum. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, typically described as a "Trump-whisperer," stated publicly that the comments were "unacceptable," noting Italy's significant sacrifices in the conflict.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whose nationalist government has maintained strong Trump-aligned positions, asserted there was "no doubt" that Polish soldiers who served in Afghanistan were "heroes" who "deserve respect and words of gratitude for their service."
Strategic Implications and Future Prospects
This emerging divide could jeopardise key objectives outlined in the Trump administration's national security strategy, which specifically aimed to "cultivate resistance" to Europe's "current trajectory" by collaborating with "patriotic allies" to prevent what it termed "civilisational erasure."
Analysts suggest domestic electoral considerations will likely force many far-right parties to respond to continued threats to sovereignty. However, they note that Trump and his European ideological allies may find common ground again on issues like immigration, where cooperation remains mutually beneficial.
Pawel Zerka of the European Council on Foreign Relations observed that far-right leaders have demonstrated "timely criticism" of Trump's excesses, potentially strengthening their positions domestically while mainstream European leaders have generally "failed to display strength, unity and assertiveness" in response to these challenges.
