Half of Europeans See Trump as an Enemy of Europe
Four in Ten Say He "Acts Like a Dictator"
Half of Europeans consider U.S. President Donald Trump an enemy of Europe, and four out of ten view his actions as those of a dictator, according to a public opinion poll.
According to the poll conducted by Cluster17 on behalf of the French geopolitical magazine 'Le Grand Continent' and released on the 20th (local time), 51% of respondents regarded President Trump as an enemy of Europe. Only 9% evaluated President Trump as an ally of Europe.
The survey was conducted online from the 11th to the 14th among 10,572 adults in nine European Union (EU) member countries: France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and Denmark.
Sixty-three percent of respondents said the world has become more uncertain since President Trump's election. In contrast, only 15% showed a positive response toward President Trump.
When asked to what extent they think President Trump respects democratic principles, 39% answered that he "acts like a dictator." Another 43% described him as having "authoritarian tendencies." Only 13% responded that President Trump respects democratic principles.
Regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin, 76% labeled him a "dictator," and 16% described him as "authoritarian," showing that the majority of respondents had a negative view.
Regarding Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and a close aide to President Trump as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an overwhelming majority of 79% answered that he is "untrustworthy." Additionally, 71% evaluated him negatively, with over 60% in Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and Germany responding that Tesla should be boycotted.
When asked whether the EU should increase military intervention if the Trump administration stops military aid to Ukraine, 54% said "yes," while 40% opposed.
Regarding whether Europe should procure weapons only within Europe to strengthen military sovereignty, 71% supported the idea. Furthermore, 61% of all participants responded positively to the proposal to extend France's nuclear umbrella to EU member states. However, in France, this response was only 52%.
On the necessity of introducing a 12-month mandatory military service to guarantee Europe's defense, support and opposition were nearly even at 52% and 48%, respectively. When asked whether the EU should build closer ties with China to counter the U.S. and Russia, 62% opposed.
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