A few years ago, most European leaders perceived the US as a reliable ally, the foundation of Euro-Atlantic security and a key guarantor of stability. However, the return of Donald Trump to the center of American political life has significantly changed the mood on the continent. His harsh statements about NATO, criticism of allies and promotion of isolationism make European capitals wonder: can they continue to rely on the US, or is it time to build their own security strategy?
The publication “Le Grand Continent” published a number of articles in which the results of sociological research were made public poll “Barometer of European public opinion”, highlighting the perception of Europeans in “the world after the victory of Trump”. The publication analyzes relations between Europe and the United States during the second term of office of the architect of the “America First” policy. In particular, in the article dated March 20, 2025 is noted, that the majority of Europeans (51%) consider Trump an “enemy of Europe”, while only 9% perceive him as a “friend”. The vote statistics indicate the growing distrust of the American leader among Europeans
What are the main conclusions reached by sociologists based on the results of a large-scale survey conducted by the publication “Le Grand Continent” and the sociological company Cluster 17?
Growing fears of war in Europe
The first conclusion of this study shows that among Europeans there is a prevailing fear of a possible explosion of an armed conflict on the territory of the European Union in the coming years. The majority of respondents — 55% against 40% — consider such a risk to be high. This concern is observed in almost all countries except Italy, where public opinion is almost equally divided – 49% against 48%.
Infographic: IA “FACT”
Fears about a possible conflict are particularly strong in the countries of Northern Europe — Denmark and the Netherlands — as well as in Eastern Europe, primarily in Poland and Romania. This is probably due to their geographical location, close proximity to Russia and a common border with Ukraine. In Poland and Romania, more than 70% of respondents believe that the threat of war is quite real.
These fears are largely fueled by Russian aggression against Ukraine, which has been going on for more than three years. At the same time, the results of the survey show that the return of Donald Trump to the White House was a kind of catalyst for the growth of anxiety. Nearly two-thirds of respondents in nine countries — 63% — believe a Trump presidency will make the world less safe. And only 15% hold the opposite opinion. This perception dominates in almost all surveyed countries and is predominant in seven out of nine states.
Infographic: IA “FACT”
From mistrust of Trump to the French nuclear umbrella
Donald Trump is a threat to Europe
Europeans increasingly perceive the former US president as a negative figure. 51% of respondents consider him “the enemy of Europe”, while 63% are convinced that his return to power will make the world less safe. In addition, 43% of respondents note Trump’s authoritarian tendencies, and 39% generally compare his behavior to the actions of dictators.
Infographic: IA “FACT”
The rejection of Elon Musk and the boycott of Tesla
The European public has largely lost confidence in the famous entrepreneur and owner of Tesla and X (formerly Twitter). 79% of respondents believe that Elon Musk cannot be trusted, and 58% support a boycott of his Tesla company’s products. This may be a consequence of both his ambiguous political statements and his influence on the information space.
Strengthening the defense independence of the EU
A large part of Europeans (70%) is convinced that the European Union should rely primarily on its own forces in the field of security and defense, and not rely on external allies. This underlines the growing need for an independent European military policy.
Greater trust in the European army than in the national troops
The idea of creating a single European army is getting more and more widespread support. 60% of EU citizens trust the joint European armed forces more than their national armies (only 19%). This may be a consequence of understanding the need for collective protection in the face of global instability.
Support for confiscation of Russian assets
The vast majority of Europeans (61%) are in favor of confiscating frozen Russian assets in order to direct these funds to help Ukraine. This shows the determination of the European community to hold Russia financially responsible for the war.
The split regarding the peace agreement in Ukraine
Public opinion in Europe is divided on the future of Ukraine: 47% of respondents believe that Kyiv should agree to a peace agreement, even if it means losing part of the territories occupied by Russia. This shows that part of the Europeans are tired of the war and want to find a compromise solution, even at the cost of territorial concessions.
The French nuclear umbrella is gaining popularity
More than 60% of Europeans support the idea of expanding the French nuclear deterrent as the basis of EU security. This means growing confidence in France as a key military player in Europe and understanding the importance of its own nuclear forces in the new geopolitical reality.
Average users comment on survey results
We reviewed comments to the publication of “Le Grand Continent” on the Reddit network and saw that they demonstrate the deep polarization and controversy of the assessments of the US and Donald Trump in Europe. Some users see the decline of the US image as the result not only of Trump personally, but also of Washington’s long-term foreign policy.
Many commentators agree that Europe’s disillusionment with the US did not begin with Trump. They recall the 2003 Iraq war as the first major blow to America’s credibility. One of the contributors writes: “Bush’s invasion of Iraq alienated many Europeans, and the last few months have been just the last straw“. Another adds that it was the war in Iraq that caused the boycott of American goods in Europe.
A user from Belgium emphasizes: the disappointment during Bush’s time seemed to soften with the arrival of Obama, but Trump again sharply destroyed this credit of trust. The reason is not only Trump’s personality, but also the very system of American politics, where even the Democrats are “completely satisfied with the light of the oligarchy.” At the same time, other commentators point out that the US has always looked after its own interests first. One contributor sums it up this way: “It’s hard to be friends with someone who behaves like this“. Many agree that the illusion of friendship has long since disappeared, and Trump has only exposed it by making relations frankly pragmatic.
The topics of economic pressure and tariffs cause special resonance. One user writes: “Even if you agree with Trump, how can you call tariffs friendly?” Another added that Trump is manipulating trade statistics to portray Europe as guilty of the US deficit, when in fact US services like iOS or Microsoft balance this balance.
At the same time, several users remind that American support was often needed by Europe itself — for example, during the wars in the Balkans, when Europeans could not stop the genocide without the United States.
There is also a frankly pessimistic opinion about the future of relations: “Now I don’t know anyone who doesn’t feel horror and disgust. It will take a whole new generation to fix itAt the same time, commentators admit that there was some improvement after the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, but with the arrival of Trump, everything again fell to the level of the Bush era – or even lower.
Overall, the review shows Europe’s deep disillusionment with the US as a strategic partner. Trump has become the catalyst for this rift, but the grounds for mistrust have been building for years. Some commentators admit that the antagonism is not only in the figure of Trump, but in the very model of American politics, which is increasingly perceived in Europe as cynical, selfish and dangerous.
