By Crispian Balmer, Ludwig Burger, David Latona and Luiza Ilie
LONDON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Europe's far-right politicians on Wednesday began to distance themselves from Donald Trump following the Democrats’ victory in the US midterm elections – but mostly avoided directly criticising the president himself.
The realignment is notable as many of the leaders celebrated their ideological ties with Trump following his victory in 2024, with some of them visiting Washington DC since then and receiving backing
from his billionaire ally Elon Musk.
Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s National Rally, which most polls suggest could form the next government, typified the political shift.
Trump's second term was less isolationist than his first from 2017 to 2021, Bardella said. "American intervention regarding Iran carries very heavy consequences" for economies around the world, he added, without mentioning Trump as being behind that intervention.
In Germany, Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, also attributed the loss to Iran. "Trump had promised his voters not to pursue an interventionist foreign policy ... This broken promise has now come back to haunt the Republicans," she told news outlet T-Online.
Trump acknowledged the war with Iran had played a role in his party's losses but said he stood by his decision.
COST OF LIVING PRESSURES
In Italy, Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League party, which is part of the ruling coalition, said "the American result was influenced above all by the wars, international tensions and the increase in the cost of living, the consequences of which fall directly on families."
"The hope is that this vote can represent an acceleration towards the end of the conflicts and a return to peace."
Roberto Vannacci, a former Italian general who leads the far-right Futuro Nazionale party, said the US result showed the political dangers of failing to deliver on electoral promises. Vannacci has previously expressed admiration for Trump's "America First" brand of nationalist politics but has since criticised the president over foreign policy.
"Trump failed to live up to expectations, was unable to bring the war between Russia and Ukraine to an end and launched a war against Iran," Vannacci told ANSA news agency, arguing that the resulting rise in energy prices and economic and stock market turmoil had hurt the US middle class and contributed to the election result.
TIES WITH TRUMP COULD BECOME AN 'ELECTORAL LIABILITY'
Europe's far-right leaders were distancing themselves from Trump for obvious political advantage, according to analyst Mujtaba Rahman, managing director of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group. "His growing unpopularity, particularly over the cost of living, risks turning what was once a political asset into an electoral liability," he told Reuters.
Rahman said far-right leaders appeared to want it both ways: to reap the "ideological momentum of Trumpism" without being tarred by the "chaos and economic disruption of his presidency".
"The risk is that Trump and his MAGA allies, who see Europe's far right as ideological partners in their struggle against the European establishment, could respond by withdrawing their political support or even turning against them," he added.
One of the few to play down the scale of the Republicans' defeat was Dan Dungaciu, vice-president of the opposition hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians, who argued that reports of Trump’s "political death" were "greatly exaggerated". He added, "Donald Trump does not automatically become a powerless president. Instead, he moves from a presidency backed by Republican majorities to one in which the executive and Congress will check each other much more intensely."
In Spain, the leader of the far-right party Vox, Santiago Abascal, made little attempt to temper his move away from Trump, telling reporters he was "in Spain and not in Michigan".
"I care quite little about what happens in other places," said Abascal, who has in the past touted his alliance with Trump and the MAGA movement.
Rupert Lowe, leader of the far-right Restore Britain party, also blamed the decision to attack Iran for the Republicans’ defeat, calling it a "catastrophic mistake." He added, "What has this war achieved? Absolutely nothing of worth." Lowe did not though include in his lengthy X post the name of the president who launched the war.
(Writing by Peter Wilkinson; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
