I expected the EU to push back strongly against Donald Trump’s new national security strategy. It not only shows contempt for the EU and its “weak” leaders but also targets European citizens and migrants with racist dog whistles and thinly veiled Islamophobia. Yet instead of a robust defense of the bloc’s commitment to human rights and equality, we’ve heard only bland platitudes.
António Costa, the president of the European Council, criticized Trump’s plans to boost support for Europe’s far-right parties. However, there was no public challenge to the racist logic behind his argument. Costa, who has spoken proudly of his mixed ancestry, could have convincingly countered the U.S. president’s false claim that Europe is heading toward “civilizational erasure” because of migrants and, by extension, millions of Europeans of color.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, insisted that the best response to the Trump administration’s insults is to stand up for a united Europe, focus on its strengths, and take pride in the EU. Yet there was no reaffirmation of the compelling vision she outlined just two years ago of an inclusive EU “where it doesn’t matter what you look like, who you love, how you pray, or where you are born.”
The truth is that Trump’s alternative reality about a “woke” Europe is laughable. He would feel quite at home in today’s EU. Far-right parties are on the rise, and the rhetoric of “defending civilization”—part of the “great replacement” conspiracy theory—has moved from the far-right fringes into the political mainstream. Von der Leyen’s own conservative bloc increasingly relies on far-right votes to pass legislation in the European Parliament. If Trump were to visit the institutions of “Brussels so white,” he would likely not encounter many people of color.
The methods used by the U.S. and EU to deal with unwanted migrants are beginning to converge. The EU may not deploy masked, ICE-style paramilitaries patrolling American streets, but its new migration pact tightens asylum procedures, speeds up deportations, and expands detention. Many EU countries are calling for additional “innovative solutions,” including increased powers for Frontex, the EU border control agency accused of systemic human rights violations, such as complicity in illegal pushbacks. Twenty-seven European states have requested a revision of the European Convention on Human Rights, arguing that migrant rights must be balanced against Europeans’ “security” and “freedom.”
All of this aligns perfectly with Trump’s agenda but goes against Europe’s own interests. With aging populations and labor shortages hollowing out entire sectors, the EU actually needs migrants. The Commission has identified shortages in 42 occupations, including jobs in construction, transport, agriculture, hospitality, health, and social care—all essential for Europe’s economic resilience and “strategic autonomy.” That’s why, even as politicians compete to sound tougher on borders, many of their governments are quietly signing labor partnerships with the Global South.
The U.S. president claims that nationalist parties are victims of censorship, but it is Europe’s progressives, especially those advocating for solidarity and justice for Palestinians, who face restrictions. UN experts have had to urge Germany to stop the persistent pattern of police violence against Palestinian solidarity activism. Meanwhile, in France, a major international academic conference on Palestine was forced out of the Collège de France in November after a minister publicly labeled the event as “activist.”
Those who follow European policies understand that, in addition to politicians’ rhetoric, there is a growing disconnect between the EU’s stated values and its actions.Beyond the occasional outbursts of moral panic, the EU has refined a polished, technocratic form of exclusion. It relies on directives and regulations, coded language about “European values,” and a security framework that normalizes exemptions from human rights. Sometimes even facts are denied: the Dutch parliament’s lower house refused to discuss a government-commissioned study which found that anti-Muslim discrimination is structurally embedded in society—leaving many young Muslims feeling increasingly that they do not belong.
As Dutch socialist MEP Mohammed Chahim told me, Europe’s political and media ecosystems have helped construct an “imaginary Muslim” who is seen as a suspect and a security risk—never as a doctor, nurse, scientist, or elected representative. Nothing, not even evidence-based research, is allowed to challenge this dominant narrative.
I wish Europeans of color truly held the power that the U.S. president attributes to us. We do not. Many remain marginalized, stigmatized, and face structural discrimination. Yet countless others—far from plotting the demise of European “civilization”—are working to ensure Europe survives and thrives. They contribute across politics, business, technology, culture, sport, media, medicine, design, transport, academia, and more.
The question is whether Europe’s leaders—or at least the more responsible among them—will finally speak up. Trump’s fantasy of resurrecting a white, Christian Europe is giving oxygen to his European followers, who frame Europeans of color through the tired lens of migration “crises,” identity threats, and endless integration tests. Those who reject this toxic fiction must have the courage to say so publicly and to celebrate Europe’s diversity.
Shada Islam is a Brussels-based commentator on EU affairs. She runs New Horizons Project, a strategy, analysis and advisory company.
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Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs European Leaders Trumps Views on Europe
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is this topic about
Its about the surprising fact that on certain key issues regarding Europelike defense spending trade and relations with Russiasome European leaders privately or quietly agree with criticisms that former US President Donald Trump has publicly made even if they disagree with his tone and methods
2 Which of Trumps views are we talking about
Primarily his longstanding demands that European NATO members meet their agreedupon defense spending target his criticism of what he called unfair USEU trade imbalances and his skepticism toward multinational projects or agreements he saw as disadvantaging the US
3 Do European leaders publicly say they agree with Trump
Rarely and almost never by name They strongly criticize his rhetoric and unilateral approach However in policy actions and behind closed doors many have pushed for the same goals he advocated like increased European military capability
4 Isnt Europe united against Trumps America First policy
Politically and diplomatically yes There is broad European consensus against transactional diplomacy and abandoning multilateral institutions However on specific policy outcomesa stronger more financially independent Europethere is significant alignment even if the motivation differs
Advanced Nuanced Questions
5 If they agree on the goals whats the awkward truth or disagreement
The massive disagreement is on how to achieve these goals and the underlying worldview Europeans want a stronger Europe within a strong Western alliance based on rules and shared values Trump often framed it as a zerosum financial transaction questioning the alliances very value which Europeans found destabilizing and offensive
6 Can you give a concrete example of this alignment in action
NATO Spending Trump loudly shamed allies for not meeting the 2 GDP defense spending pledge While they rejected his tone his pressure contributed to a sharp sustained increase in European defense budgets After the 2022 Ukraine invasion boosting defense spending became a top European priority achieving what Trump wanted but for fundamentally different reasons
7 What about views on Russia and China
On Russia European leaders historically favored engagement and dialogue clashing with Trumps harder
