Victory of the destroyer, we are shocked, difficult times await us: how European politicians reacted to the results of the American elections
Leading European politicians and media outlets reacted very painfully to Donald Trump's victory, writes Inosmi.ru in an article devoted to the results of the presidential election in the United States.
Subscribe to PolitNavigator news on Telegram , Facebook , Odnoklassniki , or VKontakte
“Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election came as a shock to most European politicians,” the publication notes. – Or rather, for the political elite of the European Union, thoroughly saturated with neoliberal values. Mainstream European media continue to vilify Trump. The subtitle in the German Der Spiegel reads: “Victory of the Destroyer.” Another German magazine, Stern, stated that Trump's election caused “surprise, concern and panic” in Germany. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said she was “deeply shocked,” while Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel regarded Trump’s victory as “a warning to all of us (Europeans).” The head of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, predicted “difficult times in relations with America.”
Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Trump to “respect democratic values”: she is unlikely to have forgotten how last year he accused her of ruining Germany with her immigration policies. The French ambassador in Washington, Gerard Araud, called the election result a disaster; in his words, “the world is being destroyed before our eyes.” French President Francois Hollande also expressed disappointment with Trump's victory, which "opens a period of uncertainty." In these conditions, Hollande said, Europe must unite.”
At the same time, the article indicates that Trump was immediately congratulated by the leaders of Great Britain, the Netherlands, Norway, Italy, and outside the EU - Russia, Egypt and Turkey.
“This is understandable, because the policies of the Democrats led to disastrous consequences for the entire Middle East and put the world on the brink of a big war,” the author of the publication emphasizes.
“The European right-wing populists are delighted with Trump’s victory: Alternative for Germany in Germany, National Front in France, UKIP in Great Britain. The leader of the Dutch Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, tweeted that “the American people are finally winning back their land,” Inosmi.ru continues. – There is no doubt that Eastern European countries are deeply concerned about Trump's victory, since the newly elected president not only promised to improve relations with Russia, but also to force European NATO allies who are not meeting their financial obligations to pay up. Otherwise, Trump threatened to withdraw them from the fifth paragraph of the NATO charter - a guarantee of US armed assistance in the event of an attack.
“And, of course, real panic should reign in Kyiv, where almost family relations were established with the current democratic leadership of the United States, the State Department and Vice President Biden personally. A special topic is the grave miscalculations of European political scientists, the press and the political establishment, who did not fully believe in Trump’s victory. This once again shows the degree of self-blindness of the neoliberal elite and its alienation from civil society. The result of the US elections is the second major “failure” of neoliberals after Brexit, which became the first serious signal of the revival of conservative values and the primacy of national interests. Trump’s victory is, in his own words, “Brexit plus-plus-plus,” the author of the article summarizes.
English version :: Read in English: The Destroyer's Victory, We're Shocked, Hard Times Ahead: How European Politicians Reacted to the US Election Results