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Trump presidential win emboldens Europe’s populist movements

Lim Yin Foong Published on Fri, Nov 18, 2016 / 9:52 AM GMT+8

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Dec 4 will mark exactly three weeks before Christmas Day, but this is not the reason why many European leaders are noting the date in their diaries. This first Sunday of December will see crucial polls in Austria and Italy, the outcome of which may demonstrate how growing anti-establishment sentiment around the world is gaining a strong foothold in Europe.

In light of Donald Trump’s shock win at the recent US presidential elections, coming close on the heels of the UK’s surprise vote to leave the European Union in end-June, Europe’s leaders are bracing themselves for what French president François Hollande has described as a “period of uncertainty” for the continent.

Concerns about the implications of a Trump presidency prompted the EU to call for what has been described as an emergency “crisis” dinner of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on the evening before the ministers were already scheduled for a formal meeting on Nov 14. Some of Europe’s worries, though not necessarily to be addressed at the dinner, include the US’ commitment towards Nato and free trade, which the US president-elect had put in question in his campaign rhetoric.