Trump looks like the father of Europe

European and world leaders are afraid of Trump and almost all of them pay homage to him. They fear his reactions, his anger, and so what they do is flatter him and avoid confrontation.

Mark Rutte (NATO Secretary General) is the ultimate exponent of the diplomacy of flattery and pure vassalage in the face of Trump's threats , whether on trade or defense issues.

Trump's victory has forced Europe to kneel before him, which is a problem. Europe must maintain its personality and invest in defense so that it never needs a volatile politician like Trump again .

From Putin to Starmer, everyone praises him, even the Pakistani leader proposed him for the Nobel Prize.

European leaders don't know how to approach Trump, they get confused, and so they opt for constant concessions.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that Trump sees the world in his own image, above all, through the lens of his egocentrism.

The one thing we know about power since Homer is that sooner or later it clouds the understanding of those who wield it, preventing them from seeing the obvious (we also know that it is very difficult for those around you to tell you the truth: power breeds sycophants).

I agree with Yanis Varoufakis when he says, “Nothing is more impressive than the inexhaustible capacity of the current European leaders to humiliate themselves in order to maintain the right to be Trump’s vassals.” He said it in jest, but it is the pure truth. The question is where is the line between servility and indifference. Where will this lead us?!

Qatar gave a plane as a gift worth 400 million dollars. Incredible! No one says anything and they think it's normal. In an adult European democracy, this is not allowed. Obviously, there will be trade-offs with the family business.

Trump doesn't want loyalty, which is a virtue. He wants vassalage, which is very different. People who will say yes to him, not people who will present him with different points of view, pros and cons, and who can advise him to do things differently than he wants.

Those who are unable to remain silent or refuse to flatter him will suffer public humiliation. Zelensky, in the Oval Office, broadcast to the entire world, threatened to withdraw military support. Pedro Sánchez was also reprimanded for refusing to spend 5% of GDP on defense. Trump threatened him in the style of Vito Corleone: "You have a beautiful economy. It would be a shame if something happened to it."

I don't think anyone knows how to deal with Trump; he is unpredictable and has completely disconnected mood swings. Trump tends to respect those who stand their ground. It takes some skill, to give in sometimes and then to be firm. Avoid complaining loudly, but use diplomacy to influence. Europe should not be afraid to stand its ground, because Trump recognizes strength; like the one China has shown in terms of trade.

Trump has no qualms about treating his friends badly. Trump is volatile, even with those who flatter him. He can turn on an ally, as happened with Bolsonaro, when Trump imposed tariffs on Brazilian steel without warning. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa learned the hard way that flattery does not equal success. He went to the Oval Office to explain that a genocide of white farmers was not happening. The meeting turned into a veritable ambush.

Therefore, the best thing for me is to do everything we can to free ourselves from Trump , and to become less and less dependent on his policies . Not to accept that he is our daddy and to stand up to him when he crosses the line. Maybe he will respect us more.

His term of office is four years and he cannot run for re-election. Until then, we will have to put up with this histrionic character, depending on his mood and knowing that he changes faster than a weather vane.

Founder of the Thinkers Club