More Europeans see Trump as ‘enemy’ than ‘friend’: survey

PARIS: A half of Europeans surveyed in seven EU countries view US President Donald Trump as an “enemy of Europe”, according to a poll published Friday.

Fifty-one percent view Trump as an “enemy of Europe”, while just eight percent consider him to be a “friend of Europe”, according to the survey of more than 1,000 people in each of France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark and Poland.

Some 39 percent think he is “neither one nor the other”, it said, after polling participants between January 13 and 19, following Trump’s threats to seize the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland.

Danes were among those who most considered Trump to be an “enemy”, with 58 percent of those polled believing this.

Across all seven nations, 44 percent said Trump “behaves like a dictator”, while another 44 percent think he has “authoritarian tendencies”.

Trump tells Davos that Europe is heading in wrong direction

Just 10 percent consider that “he respects democratic principles”.

Europe has struggled to set red lines as its once-close American ally has turned hostile under Trump, even threatening its sovereignty.

While Trump this week backed down on seizing mineral-rich Greenland by force, European countries say they remain vigilant for any next move from the US leader.

Trump on Wednesday said Europe was “not heading in the right direction”.

A US national security strategy released in December by Trump’s administration said migration was threatening Europe with “civilisational erasure”, and called for “cultivating resistance” among right-wing parties.