Global opinion split over Trump's return to the White House

Elected for the second time last November, Donald Trump was officially inaugurated as President of the United States of America on Monday, January 20. The world is holding its breath in the face of what promises to send shockwaves across diplomatic, commercial and migratory sectors.

Nearly 50% of Americans now have a positive image of the Republican, according to the polling institute 538. But what about beyond the US borders?

To find out, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) conducted a survey of more than 28,000 people in 24 countries that represent a significant portion of the world's population.

According to 38% of respondents across all countries, Trump's shot at a second term is good news for world peace, as the Ukraine war continues to rage and a fragile ceasefire may or may not hold in Gaza.

More surprisingly, 37% of respondents think that Donald Trump is a good thing for their own country, despite the fact that the new President has taken an aggressive stance towards several foreign states and territories in recent weeks.

The most "Trumpist" countries are India, where 85% of respondents think the billionaire is a good thing for the US and 84% a good thing for their own country. Just slightly less enthusiastic is Saudi Arabia  at 69% and 61% respectively.

In Russia, which is one of the West's main adversaries, 59% of respondents believe that  Trump will have a positive impact on the US, while 49% believe he will also be positive for their own country.

Another of Trump's adversaries is China, where 50% of those surveyed believe he will have a positive impact on the US and 46% believe he will be positive for their own country.

Several large emerging countries are also taking a positive view of the new President: Brazil (respectively 56% and 43%), South Africa (53% and 36%) and Turkey (53% and 35%).

Paradoxically, it is Europe, a historic ally of the US, that has the worst image of the President, no doubt as a result of his repeated threats to leave NATO and deprive the continent of American military support.

Among those surveyed in the 11 European Union member states, only 34% believe that Donald Trump is a good thing for the United States, and 22% that he will be positive for their own country.

In the UK, a country with an historic "special relationship" with the United States, only 24% of respondents believe that Trump will have a positive impact on America, and 15% think he will be good for Britain.

Overall, only 22% of Europeans continue to see the US as an ally, 9 points less than a year ago, indicating a rapid shift in opinion following the American presidential election!

Regularly threatened by its northern neighbor, South Korea views the return of a president who intends to make it pay for US protection with concern.

Only 11% of South Koreans think that Trump is a good thing for their own country which is the lowest score among those countries surveyed. This is in contrast to the 67% who think that his influence on South Korea will be negative.

The ECFR notes that enthusiasm for Donald Trump in non-Western countries may be linked to “winner enthusiasm,” a sentiment likely to “change rapidly” if he imposes tariffs on his trading partners or fails to resolve the world’s various conflicts.

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