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So, a couple of months ago (I think - time is a flat circle), there was a conversation and some slight complaining about how center-right parties in Europe never work with "far-right" parties, and how that's proof that the elite are against the votes, etc. and it's actually unfair the center-right aligns with the center-left instead of the far-right and there was even some talk it was somehow undemocratic.
Well, I just saw a poll about voting preference for Kamala Harris among German voters that shows something important about the underlying feelings of actual electorate-
https://x.com/ElectsWorld/status/1818288736549159376
% who would vote for Vice President Harris (D):
Grüne: 99 %
SPD: 92 %
CDU/CSU: 89 %
FDP: 85 %
BSW: 52 %
AfD: 26 %
Forsa, 26/07/24
Obviously, the SPD, Green, and AfD numbers all make sense. For those unaware, BSW is the new anti-immigrant economically left-wing party recent created by a former prominent Die Lienke member, so they're sort of cross-pressured on this, ironically.
But, the important number to show is the CDU/CSU & FDP numbers. This is why these center-right parties end up aligning w/ the center-left because on the big issues of the day, the CDU/CSU & FDP voter is closer to the SPD or Green Party than the AfD
Obviously, yes, the chances are some of that 15% in the FDP or 11% in the CDU/CSU will eventually also move to the AfD and obviously, another chunk of the voters if they actually lived in the US would end up voting for Trump the same way a lot of normal Republican's who have voted for Republican's their whole life end up voting for Trump, but this isn't a case of some Elite spitting in the face of their voters and aligning in some globalist conspiracy against the voters.
No, the voters are with the leadership for the most part on this. This isn't going to be correct for every country, but this is also why most of the center felt closer to Communist's than the former National Front in the French parliamentary elections as well. As I've said before, people want harsh immigration policies, they're just not willing to accept the rest of the right-wing culture war and lack of competence that comes with it when it comes to current far-right parties like the AfD.
If you truly think Muslim immigration is the worst problem facing Europe, then that person needs to accept LGBT rights, a massive welfare state, supporting Ukraine, and so on, and you might get somewhere.
But there's been several countries where center-right parties have worked with far-right parties? They're in the same government in Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland and Finland, at least, right now, and in a support arrangement in Sweden. In the past the nationalist parties have been in government in Austria, Greece, at least, and that's just going by Western European countries. If you mean Germany and France, it's probably better to say just Germany and France - plenty of countries in Europe besides of those.
(edit: and even there, Macron has never claimed to lead a center-right party - the actual center-right party, ie. the Gaullist remnant LR, split between those who outright allied with Le Pen and those who declared neutrality in the conflicts between the left and Le Pen, ie. did not withdraw candidates.)
When it comes specifically to the question of whether Europeans would normally prefer Harris or Trump, no shit they're not going to prefer the guy whose agenda is basically "Everything for the US, nothing for those outside of the US", and who specifically has multiple times challenged the current NATO arrangements and cast doubt on whether he'd prefer the US to actually intervene if there's a conflict between European NATO countries and Russia.
Being bullied by the US isn't a good policy for Europe. American meddling is terrible for Europe. From the loss of culture to being dragged into forever wars the US creates constant headache for us. The US makes the rules, we follow the orders is a sad arrangement for Europe. With the US becoming more diverse, more divided and increasinly dysfunctional it is high time to move on.
"American meddling in Europe", as a whole, is not going to change, no matter whichever candidate wins the election. The methods and goals might vary a bit, though.
It's possible, of course, that Trump would screw up the elections so bad that Europe would finally cut the strings, but that's still not a particularly likely scenario.
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