It is useless to complain: Trump is not there to do what we want, and we cannot ask him to act according to our interests. Beyond the unilateralism and the questionable methods with which it pursues objectives that from an American perspective may also seem legitimate (reduction of debt, rebalancing of commercial balance, re-industrialization), what affects most is its attitude towards international interlocutors, especially towards us Europeans.

The real estate specier disguised as a world leader

Trump adopts a rough, primitive language, inadequate to diplomatic canons. Avoid responses to the questions and repeats electoral slogans, meeting the favors of his audience, but also pushing his supporters to emulate their scornful style. Everything that approves is “Awesome”, “Fantastic”, “Like Never Seen Before”; Everything that hinders him is “Nasty”, “Weak” or “The Worst Ever”. His is a polarized communication, from reality shows or from Hollywood films, which also extends to foreign policy, in line with an approach as a real estate speculator disguised as a world leader.

Friends out of power and fear

Whether we like it or not, the substance does not change: Trump shows a constant lack of respect for his interlocutors, friends or enemies. Respect, for him, arises only from a mixture of similarity and fear. Consider “friends” those who can use to their advantage; Consider all the others “enemies”. For this reason, in its mental scheme there are no alliances in the classic sense, but only temporary partnerships between peers. And the recognition between peers is based on power and fear, not on common values.

Trump respects the leaders who resemble him: Putin, Xi Jinping, even Kim Jong-un. Legitimate interlocutors consider them because they embody the same logic of strength and personal interest. It includes them and fears them, especially when they have nuclear arsenals. On the contrary, it despises leaders who follow the rules, which move in the perimeter of institutions and international law. It considers them weak, useless, easily sacrificable.

And this is where we come to us.

Trump embodies the vision of an average American convinced that the rest of the world aspires to become like America. Hence its perception of Europe as something useless: if there are France, Germany and Italy with which to deal with, what sense does an entity like the European Union sense? If then any expert points out that the EU, although politically fragile, is a commercial giant, the reaction is angry: he goes on to the attack. Europe is therefore weak, corrupt, “Nasty”. It is even just because of having a social system other than his, and an active commercial balance towards the United States.

Trump: “The other countries kiss me the c*it for an agreement”

Trump despises what he does not control. And Europe, however often you try to stay under the radar, is too strong to be completely ignored. It does not have the characteristics of the classic opponent – such as China or Russia – but has the economic power of superpower, without however political uniformity. For Trump, it’s an anomaly. And like all anomalies, it arouses annoyance.

Trump sees the world as a map of empires and vassals. The empires contracted from positions of strength; The vassals obey. And those who delude themselves to be something more, must be reduced. Israel, with Netanyahu, learned him at his expense. Canada, Australia, Japan and even Taiwan are also learning it.

Trump is no longer a friend or an ally

Many of these “rebel vassals” are looking for new balances. And at the center of these new alliances there could be Europe, that same Europe that Trump would like to ignore. If he knows how to take a clear, cohesive, strategically strong position, the EU could find himself playing a guiding role in the West, just as America ends on itself.

Today’s Europe does not aspire to replace the United States. But Trump’s policy risks forcing her to do it. For this reason, anyone who will find themselves dealing with him will have to understand a fundamental thing: Trump is no longer a friend or an ally. He is a strategic opponent. At most, a difficult and unreliable partner.

And as such it must be addressed.

Green light to European duties against the USA: here is the list of products affected