Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free
Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world
European leaders breathed a collective sigh of relief on Monday as Donald Trump directed his fire elsewhere during his inaugural address.
Although the new president of the United States has promised to “impose and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens” and announced that the US will leave the Paris agreement in terms of reducing carbon emissions, which is the basis of EU policy, he stopped short of explaining certain measures.
European leaders chose to close any possible differences with Washington, and many are sending thanks to the leader of a country that for 80 years has been essential to the security and prosperity of Europe.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President António Costa thanked Trump same message written to X, sending him “best wishes”.
“The EU looks forward to working together with you to tackle global challenges,” von der Leyen and Costa wrote.
Best wishes President @realDonaldTrump for your position as the 47th President of the United States.
The EU looks forward to working with you to tackle global challenges.
Together, our nations can achieve greater success and strengthen their common security.
This is…
– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 20, 2025
Trump’s presidency has divided European politicians into right-wing factions that are eyeing his domestic policies, including his pledge to crack down on illegal immigrants, as part of the European framework.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s right-wing prime minister, was the only group leader invited to the inauguration, with senior EU officials such as von der Leyen set to hold meetings with the new president.
Meloni puts himself in the position of being the person he is talking to Trump for the sake of the EU, writing to X: “Italy will always be willing to consolidate the dialogue between the United States and Europe, as an important pillar for the stability and growth of our society.”
Several leaders of far-flung parties, including those from Belgium, Germany, Spain and France also attended the inauguration.
They would like Trump to weaken Brussels, allow heads of state greater control, and roll back policies to reduce carbon emissions and police speech on the internet.
Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of far-right Hungary, said Trump’s return would fuel a nationalist revival across the bloc. “Therefore I am starting the second phase of the attack aimed at capturing Brussels,” he said on Monday.
Other politicians who sought to align themselves with the new US president include Polish President Andrzej Duda, who told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos: “I have no doubts about my relations with except for President Donald Trump and I don’t have to wait for the crowd to show these good relations.”
Meanwhile, EU economic commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis from Brussels reminded the new US president that “the EU and the US have the largest trade and investment relations in the world. There are many things that at risk here in the economy.”
He warned that if tariffs are imposed, the EU is ready to retaliate with its own measures, as it did during Trump’s first presidency. “If there is a need to protect European economic interests, we are ready to do so,” said Dombrovskis.
Trump has also told Europe that it must pay more for its defense, and has proposed raising Nato contributions to 5 percent of GDP. Several alliance members are still below the current 2% target.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday promised that the alliance would increase military spending during the new president’s term. “When President Trump returns to office we will pay for defense and production costs,” Rutte written in X on Monday.
However, the EU is divided on how to support the promotion.
Guy Verhofstadt, former prime minister of Belgium and president of the campaign group European Movement International, published in X that the bloc was “completely unprepared for this new world”.
“Welcome to the new era of US government by oligarchy, where the billionaire members of Mar-a-Lago decide US policy. And guess what? To protect the European Union or the living conditions of the people of Europe not on their priority list!”
EU business leaders are also preparing for the next four years. A survey by AmCham EU, which represents US companies with operations in the EU, reported that nine out of 10 expected EU-US trade and financial relations to worsen.
Another two out of three expected that US policies would have a negative impact on their performance in the EU.
Additional report by Raphael Minder in Warsaw
