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European Politics · Geopolitics · Populism · Transatlantic Relations
European populist right leaders, including Italy's Giorgia Meloni and France's Jordan Bardella, are actively distancing themselves from former U.S. President Donald Trump, as his support is now perceived as a political liability that alienates moderate voters and splits nationalist electorates ahead of major 2027 elections.
Trump's brand in Europe has soured due to tariff wars, threats against Greenland, and a war on Iran that increased energy prices, transforming his interventions into political explosives. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly rebuked Trump after he claimed she "begged" for a photo and criticized her popularity, stating his friendship "certainly has not helped" her standing.
Similarly, France's Jordan Bardella, head of the far-right National Rally, firmly rejected Trump's backing, describing his behavior as "erratic." Polling data from Cluster17 in seven EU countries indicates only a minority of right-wing voters view Trump as "a friend of Europe," with 18 percent among Bardella's voters and 23 percent among Meloni's. A Public First poll showed only 31 percent of AfD voters and 36 percent of National Rally voters consider the U.S. "a reliable ally." This shift is particularly awkward for the White House, which previously applauded "patriotic European parties" and engaged in high-profile outreach.
However, Poland's Law and Justice party, led by Jarosław Kaczyński, continues to cultivate ties with Trump, leveraging President Karol Nawrocki's connections for internal political advantage and military alliances, as 17 percent of Polish respondents in the Cluster17 poll still consider Trump "a friend of Europe."
