Relief in Europe, but no reset expected after US midterms

European leaders were mostly silent about Donald Trump's crushing defeat. One wasn't: Spain's Pedro Sánchez called it a vote “against hate, against machismo, against climate denial.”(CN) — Europe reacted with relief on Wednesday to U.S. President Donald Trump’s stunning defeat in the midterm elections, but expectations were low for a sudden reset in badly damaged transatlantic relations.Across Europe, many commentators, policymakers and experts were comforted by American voters’ strong rebuke of Trump’s policies, which have been deeply damaging for Europe. They also expressed relief that Trump accepted the Democrats’ sweeping wins as legitimate.Still, caution prevailed, with many experts and policymakers warning Trump might become even more unpredictable, especially when it comes to foreign affairs, during his last two years as a lame-duck president. Even a Democratic-controlled Congress will have limited powers in curtailing Trump on foreign policy.At the highest levels, there was little immediate reaction from many top European leaders, likely to avoid stoking Trump’s anger.One exception was center-left Socialist Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. He called the Democrats’ win a vote “against hate, against machismo, against climate denial, against the privileges of elites.”Sánchez is one of Europe’s only remaining progressive leaders, and he has repeatedly sparred with Trump over Gaza, the war against Iran, increased military spending and immigration. Sánchez faces a tough reelection in November with his right-wing foes leading in the polls.British Prime Minister Andy Burnham also spoke about the election, saying he hoped it might help end the Middle East conflict.“I feel the world has an opportunity now to unite around the issue that is affecting us all — and that’s the cost of living,” Burnham told British broadcasters. “I can’t get people’s cost of living pressures down until the conflict in the Middle East is resolved.”Anger over inflation caused by Trump’s decision to attack Iran was widely viewed as a key factor in Republican losses.Since his return to the White House, Trump has made few friends in Europe due to an extremely aggressive approach to countries that have been America’s traditional allies and closest trading partners.European leaders have been dismayed and outraged by his tariffs on European goods, withdrawal of support from Ukraine, cozy relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, dismissal of the NATO alliance, threats to seize Greenland militarily, sanctions on the International Criminal Court, rejection of the Paris agreement on climate change and war against Iran.Polls show Trump is widely disliked across Europe, and even his allies on the populist far right have begun distancing themselves from him.Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany, said Trump betrayed his voters with his belligerent foreign policy. Weidel has put ending German support for Ukraine at the center of her party’s platform, arguing Western aid to Kyiv is prolonging the war.“Trump promised his voters not to pursue an interventionist foreign policy,” she told T-Online, a news website. “This broken promise has now come back to bite the Republicans.”Speaking on French television, Jordan Bardella, the president of the far-right National Rally, argued there was no comparison between upcoming French presidential elections and the U.S. midterms. His party’s leader, Marine Le Pen, is leading in polls.He, too, sought to distinguish National Rally from Trump’s aggressive foreign policy.“What is certain is that in his second term Donald Trump has a clearly different philosophy in his foreign policy” than in his first term, Bardella said.In February 2025, Bardella welcomed Trump’s return to the White House, saying his focus on defending national interests represented a “wind of freedom blowing across all Western democracies.”One of the biggest uncertainties hanging over Europe was what effect the election would have on American policy toward Ukraine.Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s chief diplomat, was eager for more support from Washington.“I hope the new House of Representatives and the new Senate continue to support Ukraine and press Russia harder,” she said during a news conference.German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters he was “rather optimistic” the new Congress would strengthen support for Kyiv.Many leading Democrats have been vocal critics of Trump’s approach to Ukraine, and a Democratic-dominated Congress could seek to increase U.S. support for Ukraine.Courthouse News reporter Cain Burdeau is based in the European Union.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads