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Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world
European leaders breathed a collective sigh of relief on Monday as Donald Trump focused his fire elsewhere during his inaugural address.
Although the new US president promised to “pay and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens” and announced that the US would leave the Paris agreement on reducing carbon emissions, the cornerstone of EU policy, he stopped short of defining specific measures.
European leaders have chosen to gloss over any differences they might have with Washington, with many sending thanks to the leader of a country that for 80 years has been crucial to Europe's security and prosperity.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President António Costa congratulate Trump same message posted to X, sending him “best wishes”.
“The EU looks forward to working closely with you to address global challenges,” von der Leyen and Costa wrote.
Best wishes President @realDonaldTrump in your capacity as the 47th President of the United States.
The EU looks forward to working closely with you to address global challenges.
Together, our communities can achieve greater success and strengthen their common security.
This is…
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 20, 2025
Trump's presidency has divided European politicians with some right-wing groups looking at his domestic policies, including his pledge to end illegal immigration, as Europe's plans.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy's prime minister, was the only leader from the bloc invited to the inauguration, with senior EU officials such as von der Leyen yet to schedule meetings with the new president.
Meloni presents himself as someone to talk to Trump on behalf of the EU, writes to X: “Italy will always be committed to connecting the dialogue between the United States and Europe, as an important pillar for the stability and growth of our society.”
A number of far-right party leaders, including Belgium, Germany, Spain and France, also attended the event.
They would like Trump to weaken Brussels, allow the country's capital to have greater control, and roll back policies to reduce carbon emissions and police speech on the internet.
Viktor Orbán, Hungary's right-wing prime minister, said Trump's return would fuel a revival of nationalism across the bloc. “Here I launch the second stage of the attack aimed at staying in Brussels,” he said on Monday.
Other politicians seeking to align themselves with the new US president include Polish President Andrzej Duda, who told reporters shortly before departing for the World Economic Forum in Davos: “I have no doubts about my good relationship with President Donald Trump and I don't have any.” standing in the crowd (in Washington) to show this good relationship.”
Meanwhile, EU economic commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis in Brussels reminded the new US president that “the EU and the US have the largest trade and investment relationship in the world. There are many things at stake here economically.”
He warned that if tariffs are imposed, the EU is ready to retaliate with its own measures, as it did during the previous President Trump. “If there is a need to protect European economic interests, we are ready to do so,” said Dombrovskis.
Trump has told Europe that it must pay more for its security, and has proposed increasing Nato contributions to 5 percent of GDP. Most union members are still below the current 2 percent target.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday promised that the alliance would increase military spending under the new president. “When President Trump is back in office we will increase defense spending and production,” Rutte said wrote to X On monday.
The EU, however, is divided on how to finance the increase.
Guy Verhofstadt, former prime minister of Belgium and president of the EU campaign group European Movement International, declared in X that the bloc was “not fully prepared for this new world”.
“Welcome to a new era of US rule by an oligarchy, where members of Mar-a-Lago's billionaires decide US policy. And guess what? Protecting the European Union or the living standards of Europeans is not on their priority list!”
Business leaders in the EU are also preparing for the next four years. A survey by AmCham EU, which represents US companies and EU businesses, reported nine out of 10 expect EU-US trade and investment relations to deteriorate.
Another two-thirds expected US policies to have a negative impact on their jobs in the EU.
Additional reporting by Raphael Minder in Warsaw