Donald Trump is trying to impose his political agenda on the EU, according to a report

Published on 23/09/2025 - 13:15 GMT+2

The US President is seeking to enforce his docket and governmental programme connected Europeans, according to a study published contiguous (Tuesday) by the European Council connected Foreign Relations (ECFR).

According to the writer of the study, Pawel Zerka, the American person is utilizing assorted channels to redraw the transatlantic links on the lines of his blimpish values and his sermon connected state of expression.

These are not each governmental disputes, but the disposable portion of a "cultural war", according to Zerka.

"I don't deliberation anyone volition question the information that this medication is trying to interfere successful the home authorities of EU Member States and that if Donald Trump were to win connected this front, it would let the ideological centre of European authorities to displacement to the close and towards the contented that Donald Trump considers important for today's democracies," the expert claims.

Zerka cites the US Vice-President's code earlier this twelvemonth astatine the Munich Security Conference. J.D. Vance's remarks acceptable the code for the ideological statement that Washington seeks to frame, according to Zerka, referencing the diminution successful state of look connected the European continent and the increasing gulf betwixt values connected either broadside of the Atlantic.

According to the study by the European Council connected Foreign Relations, the confrontation is exacerbated by a backdrop of governmental "humiliation" of Europe.

"I deliberation that it is of people the European leaders, governments and institutions that person near a batch of country for humiliation," explains Pawel Zerka. "Whether it's tariffs, the tariff war with the United States, the NATO acme and the question of expanding defence spending, oregon the mode European leaders are treated successful the bid negotiations implicit Ukraine, wherever they practically person to sound connected the doorway to beryllium listened to, different they're not successful the room," helium added.

These tensions, provoked by the White House, are pushing EU leaders to respond alternatively than acceptable their ain agenda, the papers suggests.

Sentiment successful favour of the EU

However, the investigation stressed that European sentiment remains beardown contempt the governmental blows dealt by Washington. According to the latest information published by Eurostat, 52% of citizens person assurance successful the communal project, the highest level since 2007.

For Zerka, determination are truthful forces connected which the EU tin build, particularly arsenic the expectations of Europeans person besides evolved.

"In galore places wherever radical utilized to spot the EU chiefly arsenic an economical entity, a trading bloc, a market, they person begun to realise that Europe plays an important relation successful presumption of geopolitics, relations with different satellite powers, but besides successful presumption of defending antiauthoritarian values that are nether menace some extracurricular and wrong Europe," helium said.

The writer of the study calls connected European leaders to measurement retired of their comfortableness portion and physique measurement by measurement strategical autonomy successful defence, exertion and vigor policy, and to implicit the azygous market.

But the investigation underlined that the EU is acold from united. The US President has governmental connections successful Europe done the leaders of Hungary, Italy and Slovakia, Zerka points out.