BRUSSELS (AP) 鈥� Tensions over plans to have driven a wedge in the once iron-clad link between MAGA and Europe’s far-right.
The rift seems to signal that ideological alignment alone may not be enough to temper worries among European nationalists over Trump’s interventionism abroad.
Far-right leaders in Germany, Italy and France have strongly criticized Trump’s Greenland plans. Even Nigel Farage, , called Trump’s Greenland moves 鈥渁 very hostile act.鈥�
During a debate Tuesday in the European Parliament, far-right lawmakers typically aligned with Trump overwhelmingly supported halting a EU-U.S. trade pact over their uneasiness with his threats, calling them 鈥渃oercion鈥� and 鈥渢hreats to sovereignty.”
MAGA’s trans-Atlantic partners
Such a divergence between Trump and his European acolytes came as some surprise.
Far-right parties surged to power in 2024 across the European Union, rattling the traditional powers across the bloc鈥檚 27 nations from Spain to Sweden. Their political groupings now hold 26% of the seats in the European Parliament, according to the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
Less than a year ago, to applauded Trump’s election under the banner 鈥淢ake Europe Great Again,鈥� while Elon Musk, before his fall from Trump鈥檚 graces, had , including Alternative for Germany party.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance drew scorn from within Germany and across Europe after he met with AfD leader Alice Weidel during elections in February. The party, with which mainstream parties refuse to work, upset German politics by doubling its presence in the Bundestag to
Yet deep divisions within MAGA itself over Trump鈥檚 approach to foreign affairs has reverberated in Europe, with his actions over Greenland, Venezuela and Iran forcing his political allies to favor their ideological convictions over their deference to the U.S. president.
Sovereignty trumps shared values
France鈥檚 far-right National Rally has at times vaunted its ideological closeness to Trump, particularly on immigration.
A year ago, the party sent one of its senior figures, Louis Aliot, to attend Trump鈥檚 inauguration. In turn, Trump has staunchly defended party leader describing her as a 鈥渨itch hunt.鈥�
Jordan Bardella, has praised Trump鈥檚 nationalist views, saying to the BBC last month that a 鈥渨ind of freedom, of national pride鈥� was blowing across Western democracies.
In recent days, however, Bardella has appeared to distance himself from the U.S. administration. In his New Year鈥檚 address, he criticized U.S. military intervention in Venezuela aimed at calling it 鈥渇oreign interference鈥� designed to serve 鈥渢he economic interests of American oil companies.鈥�
Going further, Bardella on Tuesday denounced Trump鈥檚 鈥渃ommercial blackmail鈥� over Greenland.
鈥淥ur subjugation would be a historic mistake,鈥� Bardella said.
Another Trump ally, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, In an interview on Rai television Wednesday, she said that she told Trump during a call that his tariffs threat over Greenland was 鈥渁 mistake.鈥�
Reluctance to criticize on the EU’s eastern flank
Yet the reactions among European right-wing leaders has not been lockstep. widely regarded as the trailblazer of Trump鈥檚 brand of illiberal populism, has been careful to avoid even the slightest criticism of the U.S. president.
Facing what is likely to be in April, Orb谩n has built his political identity around his affinity with Trump, promising voters that his close relationship with the president will pay hefty dividends.
Trump, Orb谩n has insisted, is Europe鈥檚 only hope for peace amid the war in Ukraine and a guarantor of national sovereignty.
Orb谩n has sought to cast Trump’s threats on Greenland and capture of Maduro either as beneficial for Hungary, or none of its business.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an in-house issue 鈥� It鈥檚 a NATO issue,鈥� Orb谩n said of Trump鈥檚 plans for Greenland during a news conference earlier this month, adding that any proposed change to Greenland’s sovereignty can be discussed within NATO.
Despite his staunch advocacy of national sovereignty, Orb谩n also praised the U.S. action in Venezuela, calling the country a 鈥渘arco state鈥� and suggesting Maduro鈥檚 ouster could benefit Hungary through future cheaper oil prices on world markets.
Hungary鈥檚 reluctance to push back on Trump鈥檚 actions reflected similar positions among far-right leaders in the EU鈥檚 eastern flank.
seen as an said in Davos this week that the tensions over Greenland should be solved 鈥渋n a diplomatic way” between Washington and Copenhagen 鈥� not a broader European coalition. He called on Western European leaders to tone down their objections to Trump鈥檚 conduct.
In the neighboring Czech Republic, prime minister and Trump ally has declined to speak out against the U.S. threats to Greenland, and warned against the EU allowing the issue to cause a conflict with Trump. In Slovakia, has remained silent on Trump鈥檚 Greenland designs, even as he met with the president in his Mar-a-Lago resort last week.
Still, Trump鈥檚 deposing of Maduro led Fico to 鈥渦nequivocally condemn鈥� the action, calling it a 鈥渒idnapping鈥� and the 鈥渓atest American oil adventure.鈥�
Disruption or division ahead
The ideology linking MAGA and its European allies might survive recent disagreements by doubling down on old, shared grievances, said Daniel Heged眉s, Central Europe director of the German Marshall Fund.
He pointed to recent votes against Brussels鈥� leadership in European Parliament by far-right European lawmakers on the EU migration pact and with the Mercosur bloc of five South American nations.
鈥淚f Trump continues that way, posing a threat to the sovereignty of European countries, then of course that will divide the European radical right,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know whether this division will stay with us or whether they can again unite forces around issues where they can cooperate. Those issues can be damaging enough for the European Union.鈥�
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Spike contributed from Budapest and Corbet from Paris.
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