Europe’s far-right leaders, once vocal supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump, are now subtly distancing themselves from him following the Republicans’ midterm losses. This shift is notable given their past ideological alignment with Trump, with figures like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Santiago Abascal of Spain’s Vox party attending his 2025 inauguration. However, the ongoing war with Iran, now in its ninth month, has become a point of contention. Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, criticized Trump’s broken campaign promise to avoid interventionist foreign policies, linking it to the Republicans’ midterm defeat.
The political realignment extends beyond Germany. Jordan Bardella, president of France’s far-right National Rally, described the U.S. intervention in Iran as having severe economic consequences. Meanwhile, Spain’s Santiago Abascal, facing a snap election, dismissed any interest in analyzing the U.S. midterms, a stark contrast to his previous alignment with Trump. Experts suggest that the midterm results have weakened Trump’s influence among Europe’s far-right, with some viewing it as a setback for their transnational cooperation with the MAGA movement.
The divide over Trump’s policies, particularly the war with Iran, has deepened tensions. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and Rupert Lowe of the far-right Restore Britain party both criticized the conflict, arguing it contributed to the Republicans’ election defeats. Analysts note that the midterm results have further tarnished the MAGA brand in Europe, with far-right leaders increasingly viewing association with Trump as an electoral liability.