“Primeval Politics”: Trump Should Not Forget Who His Allies Are

We’re past the first hundred days of the second Trump presidency, and Europe, regardless of political affiliation, is still struggling to catch up to the new pace it sets on the international stage.

That’s why the conservative think tank MCC Brussels organized a panel discussion with two foreign policy experts to help us better understand what motivates Trump and how the European Right can fit in his new world.

Although the topic is hardly controversial, a Brussels Antifa organization attempted to shut it down by vandalizing the original venue the day before the scheduled event, forcing the think tank to relocate at the last minute. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated case, as MCC Brussels has been fighting Antifa’s intensifying intimidation campaign for months, but vowed never to give in to such ‘Stalinist tactics.’

We’re wrapping up an event that was never supposed to happen – because fake anti-fascists in Brussels thought they could shut us down. You can’t. We will never surrender our right to meet, discuss, debate, and seek solutions. It’s called civilisation.🦾😉It's called MCC… pic.twitter.com/pQIMJGUJjK

— MCC Brussels (@MCC_Brussels) May 14, 2025

The guests at Wednesday’s discussion included James Orr, an associate professor at the University of Cambridge and Chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation, as well as Guglielmo Picchi, a former Italian undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and Director of international relations of the Machiavelli Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

Picchi began by saying that the right wing in Europe expected a bit of a smoother approach from Trump toward his allies, and were shocked to see that ‘America first’ does not always make a distinction between friend and foe.

Conservatives were not ready for this kind of “primeval, power-driven politics,” the former diplomat said. “They were still clapping in MAGA hats as Trump was ready to roll out the tariffs, failing to understand the impact he could potentially have on Europe.”

On the other hand, he warned, Trump has some re-evaluation to do as well, to minimize the political consequences of his actions toward his allies, like in the case of the Canadian elections. “The only thing Trump should not do is misunderstand who his allies are, because he cannot do without them in Europe.”

My point on Trump: he’s playing primeval politics—raw, power-driven moves. In Europe, we’re more used to softer, consensus-based politics. It’s a different game. says @guglielmopicchi pic.twitter.com/mi2Fy0lWg4

— MCC Brussels (@MCC_Brussels) May 14, 2025

Professor Orr disagreed, arguing that the Canadian conservatives would have lost to Carney either way, because the real problem for voters was Trudeau, not the Liberal Party. “It’s easy to overstate the toxic electoral effect of Donald Trump,” he said, pointing at remarkable victories instead, like Reform’s in the UK or AfD’s in Germany.

According to Orr, the real source of the Trump-shock in Europe is the fact that he does exactly what he said he would while campaigning for the presidency. “The EU elite is outraged that a politician actually delivers what he promised on the campaign trail… This is not the usual practice in Europe.”

What’s more, Europe is still “baffled” when a U.S. administration openly says that America is not just a project or a proposition, but a people, with its own national characteristics and corresponding interests. The sovereigntist, conservative reinvention of America was not just expected, but a “natural” step, Orr said, as globalism and liberalism are against people’s natural instincts and the natural evolution of nations.

The shock for European elites is that a politician who made a lot of promises before the election actually delivered on them after the election – that is something, sadly, they are not quite used to in their politics @jtworr pic.twitter.com/NQJ8BYuNLK

— MCC Brussels (@MCC_Brussels) May 14, 2025

When it comes to geopolitics, what Europe should understand now is that Trump did not reform the rules of the game; he merely understood that they had changed and plays accordingly. Now, we need to adapt as well, said Picchi.

“We’re still in our bubble, sitting comfortably in the EU Council and negotiating endlessly, while failing to understand that the world is much faster than our bureaucracy,” he said. A good example is defense: Brussels is talking about spending €800 billion on rearmament, but there are bureaucratic backlogs even for just ammunition, while the world moves on without us.

According to Orr, there’s nothing outrageous about tWashington no longer holding the hands of Europe. “Just like telling your kid after 18 years, America has waited 80 and now says it’s time to grow up, make your own decisions, manage your own budget, and take responsibility for yourself.”

Taking responsibility and making independent decisions based on what’s best for us also means that sometimes, those decisions will not align with the interests of our allies, Orr added, “but that’s fine, cause that’s what national conservatism is about.”

Regardless, there’s not going to be a “schism” between Washington and the European Right, “common interest will prevail,” said Picchi. 

Nonetheless, national conservatives on this side of the Atlantic should remember that first, you need to win elections at home, and only then can you start thinking of how to build international alliances. And when faced with American decisions that are hard to swallow, we need to follow Trump’s example and put our nation first, he added, and only then can we start to ‘make the West great again’ together.

Join us for the livestream of the event they tried to cancel @jtworr @guglielmopicchi @Furedibyte https://t.co/SZHq2mXpLG

— MCC Brussels (@MCC_Brussels) May 14, 2025