Europe’s far-right parties have unexpectedly distanced themselves from President Trump over his plans to take control of Greenland, fracturing an alliance that appeared unshakeable less than a year ago. The rift demonstrates that shared nationalism and anti-establishment ideology may not be enough to overcome concerns about national sovereignty and foreign intervention.
The reversal is dramatic. European far-right leaders gathered in Madrid over a year ago to celebrate Trump’s election victory under the banner ‘Make Europe Great Again.’ Now, with Trump threatening tariffs and military interventionism, nationalist leaders are prioritizing their own nations’ sovereignty over ideological kinship.
The immediate pushback
Far-right leaders have issued unambiguous criticism of Trump’s Greenland ambitions. Nigel Farage, a longtime Trump ally and head of Britain’s Reform UK, called the move “a very hostile act.” Jordan Bardella, the 30-year-old president of France’s National Rally and a member of the European Parliament, denounced Trump’s “commercial blackmail,” saying: “Our subjugation would be a historic mistake.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, another Trump supporter who has praised his nationalist views, told Italian television that she had warned Trump during a telephone call that his tariff threats over Greenland were “a mistake.” The criticism extended to the European Parliament, where far-right lawmakers voted Tuesday to support halting a major EU-U.S. trade agreement over what they characterized as Trump’s “coercion” and “threats to sovereignty.”
A dramatic reversal
The current tensions stand in sharp contrast to the political landscape of just over a year ago. European far-right parties, which now hold 26% of the seats in the European Parliament according to the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, gathered in Madrid to celebrate Trump’s election victory. The banner under which they marched—“Make Europe Great Again”—signaled an ideological kinship that appeared to run deep.
France’s National Rally underscored that alignment by sending a senior party figure, Louis Aliot, to attend Trump’s inauguration. Trump reciprocated by staunchly defending party leader Marine Le Pen, describing her conviction for embezzling EU funds as a “witch hunt.” U.S. Vice President JD Vance participated in campaigning during German elections in February, meeting with Alternative for Germany party leader Alice Weidel—a gesture that drew scorn across Europe, given that mainstream parties have refused to work with the AfD even as it doubled its parliamentary presence.
The fracturing issues
The divisions have been triggered by Trump’s interventionist foreign policy beyond Greenland. Bardella, despite his previous praise for Trump’s nationalist views, recently criticized the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He called the action “foreign interference” designed to serve “the economic interests of American oil companies.”
The Eastern European exception
Not all European right-wing leaders have distanced themselves from Trump. Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister widely regarded as the trailblazer of Trump’s brand of illiberal populism, has carefully avoided any public criticism. Facing what is likely the toughest election of his 16 years in power, scheduled for April, Orbán has made his relationship with Trump a centerpiece of his political messaging.
When asked about Trump’s Greenland ambitions at a news conference earlier this month, Orbán characterized them as “an in-house issue” and “a NATO issue”—framing that sidesteps broader European opposition. Unlike other far-right leaders, Orbán has also praised the U.S. action in Venezuela, calling the country a “narco state” and suggesting that the ouster of Maduro could eventually benefit Hungary through cheaper world oil prices.
Leaders in Poland and the Czech Republic have taken similarly cautious positions. Polish President Karol Nawrocki called for tensions over Greenland to be solved “in a diplomatic way” between Washington and Copenhagen, rather than as a broader European coalition issue. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has declined to speak out against Trump’s threats. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort last week, has remained publicly silent on Greenland—though Fico called the Venezuela operation “kidnapping” and “the latest American oil adventure.”
The uncertain future
Daniel Hegedüs, Central Europe director of the German Marshall Fund, suggested the European far-right might survive these divisions by doubling down on shared grievances against the European Union. He pointed to recent parliamentary votes by far-right lawmakers against EU migration policy and major trade agreements.
But uncertainty remains about the durability of the alliance. “If Trump continues that way, posing a threat to the sovereignty of European countries, then of course that will divide the European radical right,” Hegedüs said. “We don’t know whether this division will stay with us or whether they can again unite forces around issues where they can cooperate. Those issues can be damaging enough for the European Union.”