Europeans are extra anxious about ‘Trump 2.0’ than Americans are, new ballot reveals
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Europeans are far more anxious about the second Donald Trump presidency than Americans, according to a new opinion poll, conducted by the the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).
The poll, which considered the voices of nearly 30,000 people across 24 countries, also revealed that Europeans were isolated in their skepticism of Trump. In the wider world, those who were polled said that they largely believe Trump could function as the key to ending wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
However, many also think that China will supersede the U.S. as the world’s number one superpower on Trump’s watch.
Speaking in a Politico op-ed Wednesday, Director of the ECFR Mark Leonard wrote: “President-elect Donald Trump himself has already indicated he wants to overturn every single tenet of the U.S.-led order.
“We found that the vast majority of people around the world think Trump is, in fact, good for the U.S., good for the world and good for global peace.”
The most pessimistic response in the poll came from the newer countries to join the European Union known as the EU11, as well as Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
By contrast, respondents in India, Saudi Arabia, China, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa, and Russia, were far more positive, seeing the upcoming presidency as a force of good for America and global peace.
Strikingly, those polled in South Korea felt that Trump 2.0 would be a positive change for Americans but anticipated that his leadership would erupt in damning consequences for their country, as revealed in the survey.
Trump previously held out high hopes for a progressive relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after the pair met on three occasions to discuss the North’s nuclear weapons program. But in December, Kim vowed to implement the “toughest” anti-U.S. policy just a month ahead of Trump taking office.
Kim’s allied support for Russia in Ukraine could be one of the largest barriers for the U.S. if the President-elect attempts to crack down on global conflict and resolve diplomatic relations.
But global peace hangs in the balance as only last week, Trump floated expansionist rhetoric during a news conference citing that he would not rule out using military or economic force to overthrow Greenland, Canada, or the Panama Canal.
“No, I can’t assure you on either of those two”, the President-elect said during the conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
“But I can say this, we need them for economic security,” he added.
While the ECFR argues that Europe stands alone in its fear of the new president, a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll published Tuesday found that Americans have strong mixed feelings ahead of the January 20 inauguration.
The poll of 1,000 registered voters revealed that 31% said they felt “excited” about the upcoming Trump era while 31% said they felt “afraid.”
It is evident that Europeans and the rest of the world remain polarised on the new president-elect – opinions that could falter or strengthen depending on the decisions made when Trump becomes president.
Source: independent.co.uk
