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The defeat of Trump’s agenda

The midterm results show that protectionism, tariffs, the trade war with Europe, leniency towards Putin, hostility towards Ukraine and isolationism have neither improved the lives of Americans nor rewarded those who advocate them

by
Claudio Cerasa
8 NOV 26
Translated by AI
Image of The defeat of Trump’s agenda

Photo: AP via LaPresse

Trump’s defeat in the mid-term elections is not merely a rejection of the president: it is the defeat of an agenda. The shift in control of the House and Senate, the Democratic victories in states that until yesterday were considered out of reach, and the defeat of Trump’s candidates reveal something more significant than Trump’s individual defeat. They show that protectionism, tariffs, the trade war with Europe, leniency towards Putin, hostility towards Ukraine and isolationism have neither improved the lives of Americans nor rewarded those who champion them. The American vote is part of a broader trend: from Canada to the Netherlands, from Hungary to Romania, various forms of nationalism have suffered setbacks. In Europe, it is mainly those who tone down their sovereignty rhetoric – such as Le Pen and Meloni – who are holding their ground, whilst the risks posed by the AfD and Farage remain. This is good news for democracies, of course, and may give Europe more room for manoeuvre on the international stage. But it raises a crucial question: will those fighting Trumpism be able to put forward a credible alternative, without chasing him on the ground of populism?

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Claudio Cerasa

Nasce a Palermo nel 1982, vive a Roma da parecchio tempo, lavora al Foglio dal 2005 e da gennaio 2015 è direttore. Ha scritto qualche libro (“Le catene della destra” e “Le catene della sinistra”, con Rizzoli, “Io non posso tacere”, con Einaudi, “Tra l’asino e il cane. Conversazione sull’Italia”, con Rizzoli, “La Presa di Roma”, con Rizzoli, e "Ho visto l'uomo nero", con Castelvecchi), è su Twitter.

E’ interista, ma soprattutto palermitano. Va pazzo per i Green Day, gli Strokes, i Killers, i tortini al cioccolato e le ostriche ghiacciate. Due figli.