What does Trump mean for Europe? Reprint from ‘Arbeit Zukunft’ (Workers Future)
What does Trump mean for Europe?
27 February 2025 in Arbeit Zukunft; With permission, on MLRG.online 4 March 2025
With the rise to power of Donald Trump as President of the USA, international conflicts, including those between the USA and the EU, have dramatically worsened. Trump is the representative of the most aggressive parts of US capital, which want to stop the decades-long decline of US imperialism in a violent show of strength, reverse it and make US imperialism “great again”.
Decline
Since the victory over German fascism in World War II, the USA has been the undisputed leading power in the capitalist world. As long as socialism still existed, the fight against socialism was of central importance. It was to be destroyed in order to make any alternative to the capitalist system impossible. Lies, hatred, decomposition, military operations, secret service work, a temptingly constructed “welfare state”, freedom of travel and “democracy” – all means were justified.
Even if capital temporarily won this battle, the use of enormous military means and the handouts of a “social market economy” cost huge sums of money and, above all, gradually weakened US imperialism. This is evident, among other things, in the fact that the USA dominated the world and could wage wars with impunity, kill millions of people, occupy and blackmail other countries, but has not won a war permanently since the victory over German imperialism.
In the Korean War of 1950-53, they ultimately had to compromise with a ceasefire. In the Vietnam War of 1955-1975, despite using all means and expanding to Laos and Cambodia, the US Army not only had to withdraw, but actually flee. In 1961 and 1962, they intervened unsuccessfully in Cuba, which they have since blackmailed with an economic blockade. In 1965, the USA intervened in the Dominican Republic to bring the friend of the ex-dictator Trujillo to power in “democratic” elections. In 1970, the USA supported the royal family in Jordan against the people. In the 20-year-long struggle for independence in Angola, the USA supported reactionary “rebels” but could not prevent the liberation movement from ultimately winning. The list is endless. Most recently, the USA had to shamefully and hastily end the 20-year military operation in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021. The reactionary Taliban came to power. In 2003, Iraq was attacked, President Saddam Hussein was murdered and a “democratically elected” government was installed. Since then, Iraq has been divided into different spheres of influence. A Pyrrhic victory! In 2011, the USA militarily supported a coup against Libyan President Gaddafi and had him murdered. Libya has been a divided and broken state ever since. The USA has never really won anywhere and been able to strengthen its power. On the contrary, the many wars have cost huge amounts of money and weakened the USA economically.
The competition never sleeps
Competitors such as Germany, the EU and China have used this to gain more and more market share on the world market. From 1948 to 2002, the USA was the world export champion and exported more goods than any other country. They have now lost this position to China. The EU has also lost world market share to China, but is doing better in relation to the USA. The USA’s current account and trade balance have been negative since 2017. They import more services and goods than they export. This means that they are gradually losing economic strength. For a long time, Germany and the EU export champions were in the place of the USA, but China has now taken this place. The competition has thus become extremely fierce.
German imperialism in particular has exploited the economic decline of the USA to regain strength for a long time under the umbrella and shadow of US imperialism and to gradually put its old dream of a united Europe under German leadership into practice. This increased competition. As early as 1964 there was the so-called “chicken war” between the USA and the EEC (European Economic Community). For German imperialism it was clear that only if it gained leadership in Europe could it join the concert of the great powers. This is why the topic of “Europe” is so important for the ruling class in our country. This is why there is a constant barrage of propaganda for a “united Europe”. It is supposedly the gateway to paradise. For many cheap workers from Eastern Europe this paradise of “freedom to travel” means toiling for low wages and insecure working conditions, life as wage slaves.
With the end of the GDR and the annexation to the Federal Republic, Germany finally became the strongest power in the EU, even if not the undisputed leader.
In reality, the united Europe is an imperialist construct that is fiercely contested. There is no “unity” there. With millions of dollars and propaganda support from interested parties in the USA and Russia, the reactionary Brexit referendum took place in 2016, which ultimately led to Britain leaving the EU in 2020. Viktor Orban from Hungary also received corresponding support. And there is an “eternal” struggle between France and Germany over who will lead the EU. As in the USA, the precarious situation of the EU has led to right-wing, nationalist and fascist currents being massively promoted by capital. Hungary, Italy, France, Germany – right-wing, sometimes openly fascist parties and movements are on the rise everywhere. The fight for leadership of the EU is thus becoming even more brutal.
The competition is being exacerbated by the global stagnation of the capitalist economy, which is increasingly reaching the limits of capital accumulation. In countries like Germany, it has even led to a decline in economic output for two years in a row. A third year of recession has just begun.
Trump – “Great again” with all his might
In this situation, Trump’s rise to power is threatening for Europe and the EU. Trump is openly showing what imperialism essentially means: brutal, unrestrained exploitation, violence and pressure in international relations, labor slaves instead of human rights. Trump represents the profit and power interests of the US monopolies in an extraordinarily ruthless manner.
This is also evident in Ukraine, for example. What is officially supposed to lead to “peace” is an imperialist horse-trading to exploit Ukraine. Without and against the EU, Trump is negotiating with Russia about the division of the country and at the same time with the Ukrainian government about the plundering of raw materials (rare earths, important for digitalization). Europe and especially German imperialism, which had hoped for a piece of the spoils, are left looking stupid. Instead of negotiating themselves earlier and securing a piece of the spoils, they bet on “victory” and sacrificed the lives of tens of thousands of Ukrainians, supposedly for peace and freedom. But Trump is tearing down this veil of “freedom slogans”. It’s about raw materials, energy and profit!
Russian imperialism is ready for a “deal” with Trump – that is, sharing the spoils among robbers. Despite the high costs of the war, German imperialism and the EU will largely come away empty-handed. A billion-dollar bad investment for finance capital!
For US imperialism, this means weakening an important competitor – Germany and the EU. At the same time, it means cheap raw materials from Ukraine and Russia, in order to strengthen their own position in the competition on the world market against China. The meaning of “alliance loyalty” among robbers is shown in two ways. US imperialism is fighting its European “allies”. Russia is leaving its imperialist ally China in the lurch and is looking for an arrangement with the USA. But that can change again tomorrow if it brings advantages.
Trump’s rise to power therefore means a weakening and intensification of competition for imperialist Europe.
What is the answer?
We can currently hear the answer of the ruling class in Germany every day: strengthening their own military forces in order to be able to play a role in the concert of the great powers again. And of course they are calling for a “united Europe”, but this is more of a Europe of disunity and mutual struggle. We are seeing how German and French capital are fighting against each other again in order to turn the weakening of the EU into a strengthening of their claim to leadership. Both want massive rearmament, for their own benefit. As heartbreaking as their words of “unity” are, the decisive factor is profit.
The fact that Germany, as a major imperialist power, must fight for the leading role in a united Europe was already a goal in the German Empire. The Nazis took up this “ideal” again and wanted European “unity” under German leadership. A world war was fought twice for this goal.
This path is dangerous for the working class and all working people. Because a superpower EU under German leadership (but also any other) means more competition between the imperialists (USA, Russia, China – with and against the EU) and also a greater risk of war. The “deals” that are supposed to create peace are only temporary agreements on exploitation and plunder. They do not create peace and security. Such a “deal” can be canceled tomorrow if one of the “partners” feels cheated or is so strengthened that it wants to divide the spoils anew.
In order to be strong in these “deals”, there must be massive rearmament. This can only be done if social achievements that the workers’ movement has fought hard for, such as pensions, unemployment insurance, health care, health insurance, etc., are cut and plundered; as are funds for education, housing, local and long-distance transport.
The imperialists’ answer is therefore a catastrophe for the working class and all working people. And if these rulers wage war for the global spoils, then it will be even more catastrophic.
Our answer
Our answer is clear and unambiguous – in the interests of the working class and all working people:
No rearmament! No preparation for war!
Instead of imperialist alliances, we need the fight against imperialism. We need a strong, united peace movement. In all areas of life we must fight against the veiled but rapidly accelerating militarization. We do not want the health system to be subordinated to the interests of the armed forces and warfare. We don’t want millions for Bundeswehr advertising or Bundeswehr officers in schools. The money must be spent on education, not on militarization.
A “strong” Germany or a “united EU” are not in our interest either. They bring more competition and the risk of war. It is better to fight for the elimination of imperialism. Let us start in our own country and at the same time support in solidarity all those who do the same in their respective countries.
International solidarity instead of mutual murder for the ruling classes!
Back to an Introduction to a Series of Articles on the ‘Trump New Order’ from MLRG.online
