Attack on Donald Trump strikes fear into European hearts

LONDON — Across Europe, politicians from all sides watched the attack on Donald Trump Saturday with a sense of dread.

What many saw was a growing danger in their own countries reflected straight back at them.

As the Continent began to process just how close Trump came to death, the message from European leaders was clear: If it could happen in America, it could happen here.

In France, far-right leader Marine Le Pen said the attempted assassination was a symbol of the “violence that undermines our democracies,” warning on social media: “France is not safe from this violence.”

Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, said that “all over the world, there are limits that should never be crossed.” She added: “It is a warning to everyone, regardless of political affiliation, to restore dignity and honor to politics.”

For many European politicians, the attack on Trump was not just a warning of what could happen, but a reminder of what already has taken place in a continent where violence and political assassinations are no longer uncommon.

In May, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was left seriously injured after being shot several times in a seemingly politically motivated attack.

Last month, Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, suffered whiplash after being attacked by a man while walking through the center of Copenhagen.

Germany has also seen a spate of violent attacks on politicians, including an assault on Matthias Ecke, a leading Socialist candidate for June’s European Parliament election, who was hospitalized after being attacked while putting up campaign posters.

The U.K. has seen two sitting members of parliament murdered in the past eight years. Labour MP Jo Cox was killed in 2016 by a neo-Nazi during the EU referendum campaign, while Conservative MP David Amess was stabbed to death by an Islamic State group sympathizer while meeting constituents in 2021.

Following this month’s at times testy U.K. general election, and speaking hours before the weekend attack on Trump, House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle revealed the only thing that kept him awake at night was the thought of another MP being murdered.

Last night Hoyle said he had written to Trump in solidarity, stating bluntly that “we are at war” with extremists who do not believe in democracy.

Anarchy in the U.K.

As the British assassinations prove, it’s not only hard-right candidates being subjected to violence and threatening behavior.

The general election triggered a wave of voter and candidate intimidation across the U.K, with incumbent and prospective Labour MPs in particular complaining about the conduct of some supporters of independent candidates.

The U.K. has seen two sitting members of parliament murdered in the past eight years. Labour MP Jo Cox was killed in 2016 by a neo-Nazi during the EU referendum campaign. | Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Labour candidates spoke privately of a wave of anger and threatening behavior linked to the party’s position on the Israel-Hamas conflict, some of which stepped way over the line of what they deemed acceptable behavior.

Police are now investigating the election victory of Shockat Adam, a pro-Gaza independent candidate who beat Jonathan Ashworth, a key member of Keir Starmer’s shadow Cabinet, to become the new MP for Leicester South.

Leaflets widely distributed in the constituency during the election suggested Ashworth was a “cease-fire abstainer” and “genocide” supporter, and his photograph was superimposed over pictures of weeping children and rubble; the leaflets were not attributed to any campaign, a potential breach of election law. Adam has denied being responsible.

In a separate incident, Ashworth told The Sunday Times that he took his 10-year-old daughter with him to canvas and was confronted by a constituent who said “everyone despises you.”

Other police forces are investigating further incidents up and down the U.K.

One Labour candidate, who asked not to be named due to safety concerns, told POLITICO that during the campaign they were worried about bringing their children into the constituency because of the levels of abuse or intimidation they had been subjected to.

The would-be-MP said they were advised not to travel anywhere alone. One insider working on their campaign said their candidate was followed by an independent’s supporters in a van while they were out knocking on doors in the constituency.

“We were talking to the police all the time,” they said.

A second candidate told POLITICO that public hustings were particularly problematic due to what they saw as a lack of adequate security, leading some to simply withdraw from taking part. Others said voters were harassed outside polling stations.

Farage factor

One of the chief targets of abusive and violent behavior in Britain has been Nigel Farage, the veteran Brexiteer and leader of the insurgent Reform UK party, who is close friends with Trump.

Farage has repeatedly had drinks and other items thrown at him while campaigning in public and has long required round-the-clock protection.

One of the chief targets of abusive and violent behavior in Britain has been Nigel Farage. | Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images

On Sunday he was quick to draw parallels between his own treatment and the attack on Trump.

“We’ve seen it in British politics,” he told right-wing TV outlet GB News. “What we see through mainstream media and social media are millions of people turning toward hatred. And I have to tell you, we’re not that far behind I’m afraid in this country.”

Farage added that he was attacked in public only last week. “The last time someone threw a drink at me was last Wednesday. I generally don’t publicize it when these things happen.”

The fightback

This week’s European Political Community (EPC) summit at Blenheim Palace in southern England provides a chance for European leaders to make a stand against political violence in the wake of the Trump assassination attempt. The leaders of 47 European countries are due to gather in the U.K. Thursday.

Keir Starmer, Britain’s new Labour prime minister, will play host, with one of the three roundtables at the EPC dedicated to “defending and securing democracy.”

His government this week will be hoping to lead by example, after the Home Office launched a rapid review of the U.K. general election campaign to understand the nature of the threat faced by candidates and the level of protection they received.

“The disgraceful scenes we saw in some areas during this election campaign must not be repeated,” U.K. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said.

Some European nations have already introduced new laws to protect politicians from the growing threat.

In Slovakia lawmakers passed new legislation last month following the attempted murder of Prime Minister Fico, banning gatherings close to the homes of politicians or the seats of government.

The U.K. government announced £31 million of extra spending for MPs’ security earlier this year.

But for many leading politicians the threat remains all too stark.

Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch far-right Freedom Party (PVV), who himself has been under 24/7 protection for years because of death threats, posted on X: “What happened in the US can also happen in the Netherlands. Don’t underestimate it.”

Eva Hartog contributed reporting.