Trump's Influence on Foreign Elections
Australian Conservatives Fail to Distance Themselves from Trump
It has been found that Donald Trump, President of the United States, is having a significant impact on the voting decisions of foreign electorates, not just those in the United States.
Donald Trump, President of the United States, is signing an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House on the 10th (local time). Photo by AP
On May 3 (local time), foreign media outlets such as the Washington Post (WP) reported that in the recent Australian general election, the center-left ruling Labor Party succeeded in retaining power by defeating the conservative opposition. The reason Trump is seen as having influenced the Australian vote is that, until February, it seemed certain that the conservative opposition Liberal-National coalition, led by Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton, would achieve a change in government.
Previously, Dutton had taken a hardline stance against China, similar to Trump, and pledged to eliminate government inefficiency. He also promised to establish a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. In addition, he announced plans to reduce cultural diversity and inclusion programs in government and education. Initially, Dutton gained popularity due to his 'Trump-like image,' but as Trump's indiscriminate tariff policies became more prominent, Dutton's popularity plummeted. In the end, the opposition coalition suffered a come-from-behind defeat to the ruling Labor Party.
A similar situation occurred in the Canadian general election held last month. The ruling Liberal Party, which had been trailing the opposition Conservative Party by more than 20 percentage points at the beginning of the year, managed a dramatic turnaround in just over four months. Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Party leader who had aimed to become the next prime minister by advocating policies similar to those of the Trump administration, lost his parliamentary seat in Ottawa-Carleton?a district he had held for 20 years?to a Liberal candidate. Poilievre was also known for pursuing a political line similar to President Trump. In particular, Mark Carney, the Liberal Party leader, directly confronted President Trump's remarks about making Canada the 51st state and the tariff threats targeting Canada. He appealed for support by criticizing, "President Trump is trying to destroy Canada and make it the property of the United States."
Both the Australian and Canadian conservative parties failed to differentiate themselves from the Trump administration and were hindered as public opinion among voters shifted toward anti-Trump sentiment.
Trump also had an impact on politics in Greenland. When President Trump asserted U.S. sovereignty over Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, the Greenlandic parliament passed a law banning foreign political donations. Furthermore, the leaders of all five parties represented in parliament collectively expressed distrust toward President Trump.
However, it has been found that a close relationship with President Trump does not always have a negative effect in elections. Experts analyzed that Daniel Noboa, who was re-elected as president in Ecuador last month, likely benefited from an image of having friendly ties with President Trump. In addition, the Reform UK party, which achieved a sweeping victory in local and by-elections held in some regions of the United Kingdom on May 1, also maintains a friendly relationship with President Trump. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, is nicknamed the 'British Trump.' In fact, immediately after President Trump won the 2016 presidential election, he even remarked that it would be good if Farage became the British ambassador to the United States. In the Romanian presidential election taking place this month, George Simion, leader of the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), who has expressed support for President Trump's 'MAGA' (Make America Great Again) movement, is currently leading in public opinion polls.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
