European leaders are trying to gain influence over Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated as US president in a few weeks. We analyze who can be your main contact person on the other side of the Atlantic.
Donald Trump is preparing to take back the White House In a few weeks, European leaders will compete fiercely to see. Who can exert the most influence on your management?. Everything is at stake, given the US’s political agenda, which could include imposing heavy tariffs and rolling back security protections in Europe.
European leaders will face a number of challenges: Trump’s legendary unpredictabilityThis caused even his closest advisors in the White House to quickly fall out of favor. Those who want to be successful will have to Showing sympathy for Trump’s political agenda and his ego, as well as his ability to offer her something she wants.
‘Euronews’ examines how the candidates line up.
Emmanuel Macron
Despite domestic problems (parliament being suspended and the government repeatedly resigning), French President Emmanuel Macron still seems to have what it takes to be a leader. Trump’s important confidant in Europe.
He has already achieved a diplomatic victory. Invite Trump to the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral and persuade him to meet with Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines. As the ruler of a country with the EU’s largest army, a long history of diplomatic mastery and plenty of opportunities for showboating, Macron will have plenty of opportunities to charm and cajole.
Giorgia Meloni
Italy’s right-wing leader He has certainly tried to position himself as an effective Trump leader. “The US-European Union axis passes through Italy,” read a recent social media post from the Brothers of Italy party.
There is no doubt that he developed good relations with Trump’s representatives. Including Elon Musk and Steve BannonAlthough some of the most prolific reports of collaborations with Musk have been artificial intelligence-generated fake news.
Hopes that he will wield influence in the White House may hinge on their shared policies on issues such as immigration and LGTBIQ+ rights. But there is one exception: Ukraine, where he is a strong supporter, while Trump is clearly a moderate.
Viktor Orban
orbanHoping for it like Meloni Their shared political vision makes him Trump’s man in Europe. Some in the president-elect’s orbit are open fans of Orbán’s increasingly authoritarian practices, which have led him to stifle dissent in the media and academia.
Orbán hosted the Conservative Political Action Conference, to which Trump contributed a video message, and is a frequent visitor to Trump’s Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. Thierry Breton, France’s former European commissioner, said emphatically: The role the Hungarian leader could play in Trump’s second term.
But the effect has to work in two ways. Hungary remains a relatively small member state; Locked in a fight with Brussels over asylum rights and judicial independence, Orbán is increasingly estranged from Brussels and is not among those who formed von der Leyen’s centrist coalition.
Keir Starmer
recently published While some were pushing for restrictions from Brussels, some were certainly hoping for warmer relations between the US and the UK Post Brexit. The UK’s newly elected Prime Minister certainly wants to keep his options open. Britain’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, said in a speech in December that he did not have to choose between two historic alliances with the United States and Europe.
But as a leftist who appointed a colleague from the party, the former European Commissioner Peter Mandelson as ambassador in WashingtonStarmer may have difficulty connecting with the White House leadership, which is just as partisan as he is but in reverse. Trump has already criticized Starmer’s Labor Party activists, who he said were active in supporting his rival Kamala Harris.
Meanwhile, Musk seems willing to intervene in domestic politics, as in Germany, and says: Racial tension in England would lead to civil war and support the emerging Eurosceptic party Reformation, led by Brexiteer Nigel Farage.
Olaf Scholz
Even though he represents the EU’s largest member, the White House may not see the German chancellor as worthy of much investment. Scholz will face angry voters in the general election just weeks after Trump’s inauguration, and he is trailing in the polls.
ADVERTInterventions of Trump’s representative, Elon Musk supports the Alternative Party for Germany (AfD) can worsen relations further. The far-right group is not only Scholz’s rival, but is also seen as unacceptable by much of Germany’s political establishment.
Ursula von der Leyen
European Commission President von der Leyen At first glance he seems like a bad friend of TrumpIts policies are distinctly nationalist and Eurosceptic. But he is also well positioned to be the go-to guy on his main concern: the US trade deficit with the EU.
He has threatened to impose 10% tariffs on the EU along with other major trading partners, but has also suggested that tariffs could be negotiated to reduce if the bloc agrees to buy more American fossil fuels. But despite his bluster, he is also famous for his interest in the art of the deal.
A. Trade war between the USA and the EU This was narrowly averted during his first administration, after Brussels promised to buy more American soybeans: a seemingly modest but politically totemic gesture.
ADVERTThis shows there’s a way getting rid of trade barriers is potentially devastating for those who can reach adequate agreement on the technical details. Von der Leyen may be well positioned to do so, backed by a legion of officials.
Mark Rutte
head of NATO, Mark Rutte may be one of Trump’s most complicated relationships For Europeans, it is the most important. If Trump withdraws support or steps back from security guarantees, this could be crucial to the defense pact that has been in place since World War II.
Trump has an existing relationship with Rutte; The US president described them both as “friends” at a White House meeting in 2019, when Rutte was prime minister of the Netherlands. Dutch, down-to-earth and able to negotiate It could be an ideal channel to convey the message that Trump should move onSince he sees this, Contributing to peace in Europe.
