Trump’s New World Order

  • 18:30 - 20:00
  • Wednesday 14th May 2025
  • Stanhope Hotel Brussels by Thon Hotels, Rue du Commerce 9, 1000 Brussels

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Trump is back. His second presidency is well underway, yet Europe remains stubbornly in denial. Amid plenty of talk, there seems an unwillingness to confront the fundamental questions: What does Trump aims to achieve? Can Europe withstand it?

From the moment Trump returned to the White House, he signalled that we were now living in a new world. The old rules, post-Cold War assumptions, and comforting illusions are all on trial. From threatening to take Greenland to making Europe pay for NATO, implementing enormous tariffs to abandoning Ukraine - is there a discernible Trumpist strategy for a new world order amid the chaos?

For Europe, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The continent is fragmented, militarily weak, dependent on American protection, and engaged in moral posturing. Most European leaders prefer to sermonise about Ukraine rather than engage in serious preparations for hard power. Europe faces the real possibility of prolonged humiliation – or perhaps this moment is precisely the jolt it needs.

Even European populists are beginning to look upon Trump with unease. Many fret that Trump’s chaotic approach to world affairs risks undermining the populist cause more broadly. Others celebrate a man who has destroyed taboos and made the unthinkable suddenly possible. Can European populists learn from Trump? Or should they steer clear? 

In one of his last public statements, Henry Kissinger said Trump “may be one of those figures in history who appears from time to time to mark the end of an era and to force it to give up its old pretences.” Europe has been a continent of pretences for a long time. Is it time to finally give them up?

Join us for a compelling discussion on power, politics, and the West's uncertain future.

Speakers include:

James Orr, associate professor, University of Cambridge; chair, Edmund Burke Foundation UK; referred to by Politico as “JD Vance’s philosopher king”

 

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