The influence of the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement is no longer confined to U.S. politics. Today, it is spreading across Europe—not through military force, but via cultural, political, and economic channels. Washington appears determined to reshape Europe’s liberal order, not through direct confrontation, but by gradually steering policies and political currents so that the continent aligns with U.S. priorities rather than acting as an equal partner.
Europe faces several challenges that create an opening for this influence: the rise of far-right parties, declining trust in Brussels-based institutions, and persistent weaknesses in coordinating foreign, energy, and security policies among member states. These conditions make it easier for Trump-aligned ideas—nationalist, anti-liberal, and protectionist—to gain traction in European politics.
Three Gears of Influence: Elimination, Conversion, Submission
1. Elimination
Elimination involves sidelining moderate voices and tilting the political field toward hard-right actors. The 2024 European Parliament election marked a turning point: far-right parties gained influence, with groups like Patriots for Europe and Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) consolidating their presence.
This shift is visible in national governments:
- Italy’s Brothers of Italy under Giorgia Meloni took power in 2022.
- Slovakia saw Robert Fico’s SMER return in 2023.
- The Netherlands briefly had a right-leaning coalition centered on Geert Wilders before a government collapse in June 2025.
At the public level, Eurobarometer surveys show a tension between optimism about the EU’s future and doubts about its direction—fertile ground for Trumpist narratives.
2. Conversion
Conversion reshapes Europe’s economic dependence on the U.S. Policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentivize green-industry investment in the U.S., creating reliance that Europe struggles to match. The EU responded with initiatives such as the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) and the European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS), seeking to regain autonomy in economics and security.
Energy is a key pressure point: Europe’s growing reliance on U.S. LNG since 2022 stabilizes supply but increases exposure to U.S. pricing and regulatory influence, tying European decisions more closely to Washington.
3. Submission
Submission redefines Europe’s role in the transatlantic alliance. Rather than acting as co-authors of strategy, European countries risk becoming dependent actors. Trump’s 2024 remark encouraging Russia to target “delinquent” NATO allies underscores the uncertainty Europe faces when security decisions hinge on U.S. politics.
The Cultural Front
MAGA influence extends beyond policy and economics into culture. Conservative U.S. networks have built a transatlantic infrastructure: CPAC Budapest, National Conservatism conferences, and the Patriots for Europe summit in Madrid. These platforms normalize illiberal governance as a legitimate alternative within Western democracies.
Why Washington Pushes This Agenda
Economic leverage is a key motivation. U.S. tariffs in 2025—including a 10% universal baseline and higher sector-specific levies—highlight how European compliance aligns with American interests. Divergence comes at a cost, reinforcing the incentive for Europe to follow Washington’s lead.
The Risks for Europe
If unaddressed, these trends could erode democratic legitimacy, weaken institutional cohesion, and increase strategic dependence on the U.S. Europe would retain elections and structures but lose policy authorship, functioning increasingly in a passive role.
Paths to Resilience
Europe can push back by:
- Rebuilding trust with citizens: Address concerns about cost-of-living, housing, migration, and green transitions.
- Strengthening economic sovereignty: Fully implement NZIA, streamline funding, modernize investment controls, and protect R&D.
- Building defense capacity: Turn EDIS into reality with joint orders, common standards, and long-term contracts.
- Protecting the information sphere: Fund diverse media, regulate platforms for transparency, and counter disinformation without resorting to censorship.
Culture wars thrive in silence; they weaken when democracies encourage debate and civic literacy.
Europe’s Choice
The current challenge is not merely electoral; it is about the identity and future of the Western order. What is unfolding is a soft coup—incremental yet profound. The MAGA strategy requires no tanks or treaties, only European drift.
The alternative is neither anti-Americanism nor naivety. It is strategic maturity: a Europe with its own center of gravity, capable of friendship without subordination and solidarity without surrender.
Sarah Neuman is an adjunct professor of political science at Humboldt University of Berlin.