Cacciari’s Stark Critique: “Trump Is Right, Europe Is Failing Under Von der Leyen”
The philosopher’s sharp analysis of the EU’s decline and Meloni’s diplomatic balancing act in Washington.
In a provocative interview with La Stampa on April 17, 2025, Italian philosopher and former Venice mayor Massimo Cacciari delivered a scathing critique of the European Union’s current state, aligning himself with U.S. President Donald Trump’s assessment of Europe’s diminished global influence.
“Europe is a failure. If we don’t start from this premise, how can we understand Trump’s positions?”
Cacciari asserted, attributing the continent’s decline to leaders like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He highlighted that Europe’s share of global GDP has fallen from 26% to 18% over the past two decades, while its population remains stagnant at early 20th-century levels.
Cacciari emphasized that the West, as previously known, has been in decline for decades, with the U.S. surpassing Britain in GDP as early as 1871. He argued that the EU has become a bureaucratic entity disconnected from citizens’ needs, lacking a unified foreign policy and failing to uphold its founding principles of solidarity and subsidiarity.
Regarding President Trump’s critiques, Cacciari urged observers to look beyond his flamboyant persona and focus on the substance of his message: that Europe holds little sway on the global stage. “As long as European leadership remains under figures like von der Leyen, Trump is right,” he stated.
On Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Washington to discuss tariffs, Cacciari expressed cautious optimism. He described Meloni as a skilled diplomat navigating between the EU and the U.S., suggesting she likely secured some assurances before the trip. “Perhaps she obtained a promise that if Europe is willing to make concessions, Trump might reconsider some positions,” he speculated.
Cacciari’s remarks have ignited debate across Europe, challenging the current EU leadership and calling for a return to the Union’s foundational values to restore its global standing.