Two blows to Trump from Parliament and the Commission: a new European vision (with help from Draghi and Letta) may be taking shape

“We need to shun panic and stand with the consciousness that we have strengths and potentials that we need to know how to develop, direct better to maintain our economic strength, and find ourselves a worthy place in the World.” We wrote this a year ago in this newspaper, almost a month after Trump took office. For almost a year, governments instead chose to keep a dialogue open, to avoid “the worst.” Some of that “worst” was probably avoided, but Donald Trump is pressing ahead on his own path, which, in these days, in terms of foreign policy, runs through the pursuit of Greenland. In domestic politics, meanwhile, it increasingly takes the form of blatant and offensive disdain for his opponents, against whom he launches reckless lawsuits and deploys aggressive police forces. 

Today, however, two strong signals have come from the European Parliament and Commission regarding a possible change of course by the European Union, which appears to be more assertive and courageous. The first signal to Donald Trump comes from the heart of European democracy, as reported by our correspondent Simone de la Feld from Strasbourg. The European Parliament has decided to suspend work on the implementation of the grinding trade agreement that Brussels and Washington reached over the summer: “If he wants access to the single market at zero tariffs, be reliable,” Manfred Weber, president of the European People’s Party, warned, marking a radical change of pace for the EPP. 

With tact and composure, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen managed to avoid clashes and rifts with Donald Trump’s United States, from which, again with tact, she distances herself and redefines her policy line, Emanuele Bonini explained to us in told us in his article on the World Economic Forum in Davos, where von der Leyen “breaks” with American leadership but not with America. This is one of the key moments that probably marks a new Euro-Atlantic course: “We consider the people of the United States not only our allies, but our friends,” she said, deliberately speaking slowly to emphasise the difference between civil society and the political class.

Perhaps something new is happening, given, at the very least, the complete long‑term futility of appeasement policies toward the US president, who continues to follow his own path regardless. And along that path, the Union has decided to work intensively, seeking to overcome even the resistance of those countries whose governments are more subservient to Trump, such as Hungary. A foreign policy expert noted that von der Leyen “offered a vision today.” Now there will be an extraordinary European Council meeting, convened by Antonio Costa, its president, onThursday evening, and shortly, on 12 February, European leaders, apparently all of them, including the Commission, will meet near Brussels to discuss the future, and the future now is how to manage the Trump effect. 

It’s not just the work of the Commission, the Parliament, or a few more clear‑sighted European leaders. No. Much of it also comes from Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta, who are reflecting precisely on this, working closely with the Union’s leadership, and will be present at the February 12 summit.

Trump is a bully — powerful, yes, dangerous, yes — but he is losing support at home, has little of it abroad (even if he remains problematic, like Vladimir Putin and other similar figures), and suffers from a marked cultural inferiority complex toward Europe, as shown by the embarrassing episode of the Nobel Peace Prize he so desires and ultimately accepted as a hand‑me‑down.

Rules do exist in the world, and not even Trump can violate them as if they were nothing. These are largely necessary economic balances, not just regulations, dear to the EU yet so easily broken. And respecting those rules, we Europeans first and foremost, may mean saving the West as we have known it for the last 80 years. So, as we wrote a year ago, “stand tall, Europe,” know that you have the strength to defend yourself and do so. Because it is the only way to survive.