More than half of people surveyed in seven European countries view US President Donald Trump as an “enemy of Europe,” according to a poll published on Friday by the French magazine Le Grand Continent. Overall, 51% of respondents took this view — in Germany the figure reached 53%. In Spain and Denmark, where Trump drew criticism over his ambitions regarding Greenland, the share climbed to 58%. Poland stood out as an exception: only 28% there saw Trump as an “enemy of Europe,” though just 17% considered him a “friend of Europe.”
For the survey conducted by the Cluster17 institute, just over 1,000 quota-selected participants were questioned in each of the seven countries, which also included France, Italy and Belgium. The questions were asked between January 13 and 19, following Trump’s remarks about wanting to take control of Greenland. Since then, he has said he would not use violence to pursue this aim.
The study highlights widespread uncertainty among Europeans about how to respond to Trump’s policies. In total, 46% favored “opposition” from the EU toward the US government, while 44% supported a “compromise.” Only 10% favored moving closer to the US position.
Against the backdrop of US foreign policy, nearly three-quarters of respondents said the EU must rely “only on itself for its defense and not count on US support.” Around one-fifth believed Europe could “continue to rely on the United States.”
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