Far-Right in Europe Cheers Trump's Return

In the heart of Madrid, a gathering of Europe's far-right leaders celebrated the return of Donald Trump to the White House. The event, dubbed "Make Europe Great Again, " echoed the sentiments of the crowd of around 2, 000 people who cheered on the leaders. The leaders, including Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Italy’s deputy premier Matteo Salvini, were in high spirits, praising the impact of Trump’s policies on immigration, energy and gender. The rally came just weeks after Trump began his second term. The far-right parties in Europe have been gaining momentum since the EU elections last year, where they achieved their best-ever performance. Marine Le Pen, leader of France's Rassemblement National party, spoke about how Trump's election had sped up historical changes. "We are at a big turning point, " she said, criticizing the EU for being slow to react. The leaders at the rally were very vocal about their stance on immigration. They described it as "uncontrolled" and demanded an end to the EU’s push for clean energy, which they believe hurts the economy. They also took aim at "woke" policies on gender, applauding Trump’s decision to recognize only two genders. Geert Wilders, from the Netherlands’ Freedom Party, had strong words against what he called the "extremist agenda of the woke left" and "the guilt-tripping of multiculturalism. "He said, "People all over Europe want us to bring back common sense and moral clarity. " The event was hosted by Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain's far-right party Vox. The leaders praised the Spanish "reconquest" of Muslim-controlled parts of Spain by Christian rulers in the Middle Ages, with Orbán saying it was an example of the spirit Europe needed today. The rally did not touch on two controversial moves by Trump that have Europe worried: his threat to impose tariffs on European goods to balance a trade deficit he calls an "atrocity, " and his plan to expel millions of Palestinians from Gaza. They also avoided mentioning Trump's demand that Europe should spend more on its own defense to reduce its reliance on the US. The event highlighted a growing trend in Europe, where far-right leaders are embracing Trump's policies and using them to validate their own agendas. It's a reminder that politics, both in the US and Europe, are deeply interconnected.