New research from the ALDE Party Survey suggests that European attitudes towards the United States are shifting dramatically, with many voters now viewing the US as a threat to the European Union on a level comparable to Russia.
The findings come amid growing concern across Europe over Donald Trump’s attacks on democratic institutions and hostility towards traditional allies such as the EU. For the first time in ALDE Party polling, the US is now viewed by liberal voters in several European countries as either an equal or even greater threat to the EU than Russia.
Across much of Europe, liberal voters ranked the US as either the first or second greatest threat facing the EU, ahead of powers such as China and ahead of wider concerns including economic instability and climate change.
At the same time, perceptions of Russia appear to be shifting. Compared to 2023, voters across Europe now see Russia as less of an immediate threat than they did at the height of the Ukraine war’s earlier stages, although this varies significantly depending on geography and historical experience.
Countries geographically closer to Russia, such as Finland and Romania, continue to view Moscow as the primary threat to European stability. But countries further west, including the Netherlands and Denmark, are increasingly identifying the United States as the greater challenge to Europe’s future direction.
The findings also point to a broader political shift among liberal voters towards strengthening European independence. While respondents still support maintaining the transatlantic alliance, many increasingly believe Europe must become more strategically autonomous and less dependent on Washington politically and militarily.
However, the research shows that Europeans are not willing to compromise core liberal values to preserve relations with the US. Voters expressed support for increasing aid to Ukraine and strengthening European defence capabilities, while rejecting pressure to weaken protections against hate speech or roll back regulation of big tech companies.
The findings paint a picture of a Europe entering a more uncertain geopolitical era, where liberals increasingly see defending European democracy and strategic independence as inseparable.
Check out our ALDE Party Survey data displayed on a graph below.
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Raphael's take:
“The post-war transatlantic relationship is shifting from automatic alignment towards a more interest-based relationship. What is changing is not just how the US is viewed, but the fact that it is no longer automatically treated as separate from other global powers in how Europeans think about security and risk. It can no longer be assumed as a constant pillar of European security in the way it once was."
Raphael Velez, Research & Campaigns Manager 
Raphael Velez contributed reporting for this piece