Schmidt Explains Trump’s Dwindling Appeal Among International Right-Wing Populists
Professor Vivien Ann Schmidt of the Pardee School provided key insights about Trump’s rising unpopularity among right-wing leaders across nations in an NPR news article. With recent changes in the tariff policies which drew widespread criticism from allies, the populists advocating the MAGA-style approach are now disassociating themselves from Trump to win back their electorates.
Schmidt said that initially there was an air of anxiety about Trump’s presidential victory triggering “a tidal wave in support of extreme right populist parties across the world while encouraging them to intensify their extremism.” However, in the first 100 days of the presidency, Trump’s aggressive trade negotiations involving steep tariffs have single-handedly flipped the script. She specified that the president’s unconventional trade dialogue has thrown several populist figures off balance and is likely to “push them to greater moderation.” Simply put, supporting Trump has undermined the political standing of these leaders with their domestic base, which is why they are recalibrating their campaign messages.
The professor also touched upon the structural aspect contributing to the weakening of Trump’s relationships with like-minded foreign politicians. She said:
“Most of these leaders operate within parliamentary systems. That means navigating coalition partners — you don’t have the same unilateral power a U.S. president does.”
With Trump’s declining favorability in European countries like France, Germany and Hungary, Italy brings a more balanced diplomatic strategy with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Referred to as the “Trump whisperer,” Meloni’s political views regarding immigration and cultural conservatism closely align with Trump’s. However, she has maintained a tactful stance on certain crucial issues like the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Trump’s latest trade regulations.
“Meloni is a very clever politician,” said Schmidt. “What she’s doing on the economy and Ukraine is very mainstream, center-right.”
To read Prof. Schmidt’s complete remarks, visit this link.
Vivien Ann Schmidt is a Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration, Professor Emerita of International Relations in the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and Professor Emerita of Political Science as well as Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Europe, all at Boston University where she taught from 1998 to 2023. An authority on European politics and society, European Union, and France, she has written several books including Europe’s Crisis of Legitimacy: Governing by Rules and Ruling by Numbers in the Eurozone (2020) that was a recipient of the Best Book Award of the American Political Science Association’s Ideas, Knowledge, and Politics section. Schmidt is currently a visiting fellow at the Schuman Center at the European University Institute in Florence, honorary professor at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome, and senior fellow at the Zoe Institute in Cologne and Brussels.