By John Irish
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -European officials are uneasily digesting U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech at the United Nations this week, where he blasted the world body and attacked Europe’s immigration policies, energy transition and commitment to climate action.
Unlike his last appearance in 2020, when China dominated his speech, his European allies were the focus of some of his harshest criticism, getting mentioned twice as often as Beijing.
“Immigration and their suicidal energy ideas will be the death of Western Europe,” Trump told the assembly. “Illegal aliens are pouring into Europe.”
The speech dismayed many in Europe – and left some bemused – – not just by the tone, but by what they saw as a deeper erosion of shared democratic values.
One France-based European diplomat told Reuters it appeared Trump was trying to apply his messages to the American public internationally, assuming that Europe wants the same thing as his administration does.
“Perhaps we should start importing bottles of American air, since it’s apparently so pure,” the diplomat added.
Since returning to office in January, Trump and his top officials have forcefully implemented his MAGA agenda – from climate and migration to diversity and free speech.
In recent weeks, the administration has issued public threats and put left-leaning groups on notice for language they find unacceptable following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this month.
U.S. officials have also sought to take their message global.
In Munich in February, U.S. Vice President JD Vance took a swipe at European governments for what he described as their censorship of free speech and their political opponents, particularly criticism of immigration policies.
FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER DRAWS ON ‘STAR WARS’ ANALOGY
In a speech to Harvard students two days after Trump’s speech, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot drew on the “Star Wars” film series to describe a four-step process to drive a galaxy slide from democracy to dictatorship.
Harvard is one of several universities threatened by the Trump administration with federal funding cuts over a range of issues like pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel’s assault on Gaza, transgender policies, climate initiatives and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“In mature democracies across Europe and North America, the greatest threat comes less from coups than from leaders elected or able to be elected,” Barrot said.
“Wannabe strong men weaponise emotion — using algorithms to amplify anger and fear — and turn politics into a permanent theater of outrage.”
Trump administration officials hosted an event on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday purporting to promote free speech, the latest stage in a push against what Washington calls censorship in Europe that has aligned some U.S. conservatives with far-right European politicians.
Several European cabinet ministers interviewed by Reuters during the General Assembly week avoided criticising the administration by stressing publicly that the two sides had a strategic relationship and that Washington’s democratic traditions would always prevail.
“I fully trust the U.S. will be able to solve its issues. Institutions are strong and they have such a long tradition of freedom of speech,” Latvia’s Foreign Minister Baiba Braze told Reuters.
She, like her Slovakian counterpart Juraj Blanár, sought to emphasise that on illegal immigration, Trump had a point and that Europe was beginning to move on the subject.
FEAR OF LOSS OF SHARED VALUES
But there is now a fear that the foundational values that once bound the transatlantic alliance – democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression — may no longer be universally shared.
“The transatlantic relationship is currently gripped in a struggle that is as much about the values that dominate European politics and define the West as it is about Europe’s dignity, credibility and identity as an autonomous international actor,” the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) said after publishing a report that concluded Europe is now navigating a “full-blown culture war” with Trump’s America.
“In Europe, we preserve our values, especially the freedom of expression,” European Council President Antonio Costa told Reuters. “It’s clear that now we are not sharing the same vision of these values with some American politicians.”
Costa said Vance’s speech at the 2025 Munich Security Conference was a sign of the divergence.
“No doubt Benjamin Franklin would have wielded a green lightsaber,” Barrot said at Harvard, referring to one of the founding fathers of the United States.
Returning to his “Star Wars” allegory, he said: “Fortunately, the return of the Jedi puts an end to all this, but this scenario is less and less fiction.”
(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Don Durfee and Howard Goller)
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