The prospect of a Donald Trump presidency and the new look of the
Republican party he now leads is causing some center-right European
parties to rethink their political allegiances.
The shift was evident in the stark contrast in attendance by European politicians at the Democratic convention here in Philadelphia and those who went to the Republican gathering last week:
In Cleveland only former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders and a few members of the European Conservatives and Reformists group could be found. In Philadelphia, there were representatives from a range of political groups, including center-right politicians who typically would have been more at home at a Republican convention.
An opinion sampling of those politicians — from parties normally at each other throats in Brussels, from the Greens to the center-right Christian Democrats — found overwhelming support for Hillary Clinton to be the next president of the United States.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters Thursday in Berlin it was a “clear ‘no'” when asked if the prospect of a Trump presidency is giving her nightmares, but the feeling isn’t shared by ministers and MPs here in Philadelphia.
“Historically I have definitely more of a Republican, at least on the economic side, but there’s no way I could convince myself to support someone like Donald Trump,” said Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander de Croo.
Read full report: A new Hillary demographic: Europe’s center right – POLITICO
The shift was evident in the stark contrast in attendance by European politicians at the Democratic convention here in Philadelphia and those who went to the Republican gathering last week:
In Cleveland only former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders and a few members of the European Conservatives and Reformists group could be found. In Philadelphia, there were representatives from a range of political groups, including center-right politicians who typically would have been more at home at a Republican convention.
An opinion sampling of those politicians — from parties normally at each other throats in Brussels, from the Greens to the center-right Christian Democrats — found overwhelming support for Hillary Clinton to be the next president of the United States.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters Thursday in Berlin it was a “clear ‘no'” when asked if the prospect of a Trump presidency is giving her nightmares, but the feeling isn’t shared by ministers and MPs here in Philadelphia.
“Historically I have definitely more of a Republican, at least on the economic side, but there’s no way I could convince myself to support someone like Donald Trump,” said Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander de Croo.
Read full report: A new Hillary demographic: Europe’s center right – POLITICO
