How Europe's Far-Right Leaders Are Backing Away From Trump After Midterm Losses
While left-leaning European leaders have celebrated the Democrats’ gains in the U.S. midterms, some far-right figures in Europe appear keen to succinctly separate themselves from Trump and his policies.
Europe's far-right leaders have shown signs of distancing themselves from former U.S. President Donald Trump following his party's significant losses in the midterm elections, which resulted in the loss of control over both the House and Senate. While European right-leaning figures previously celebrated ideological ties with Trump, the tide appears to be turning.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish far-right leader Santiago Abascal, who were invited to Trump's 2025 Inauguration Day, now seem keen to distance themselves from his policies. Trump's failed pledge to avoid foreign wars, particularly the ongoing intervention in Iran, has been cited as a key reason for the Republican Party's defeat.
The scale of the loss has been described as "remarkable," with far-right figures attributing it to the devastating consequences of the Iran war. While political parties typically lose seats in Congress during midterms, the magnitude of the Republican defeat has surprised even those who expected a loss. The shift in tone for far-right parties has been marked by statements acknowledging the impact of the Iran war on the GOP's midterms.
Far-right leaders in Europe have also recognized the need to separate themselves from Trump's failed policies, with some even criticizing the "firewall" approach in Germany, an agreement among other political parties not to work with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
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