Italian Prime Minister Meloni told Trump that her goal is "to make the West great again", criticising "woke ideology" and championing the "war against illegal migration". This, apparently, was music to the ears of the US authoritarian strongman, who clearly shares the same values.
But what exactly does the term West mean? Interestingly, the term is defined here in two binary polarities: against the enemy within (woke ideology), and the external enemy—the immigrants from the Global South. In this sense, their ideological project is to restore the West to its "true" self: colonial, racist, and aggressive. It is the West cleansed of all the social progress achieved through protest and struggle since the end of the Second World War, including the revolutions of 1968.
Let’s not forget that the US, throughout history, has had no qualms about co-opting the far right to combat communism. This happened with murderous, large-scale intensity in Latin America. But it also happened in Italy, where secret services aligned with the US promoted the strategy of tension, aimed at provoking a right-wing coup to prevent the entry of the PCI into government. This included the planting of bombs in train stations by neo-fascists.
I’m not sure how far the transactional and insular Donald Trump is invested in this project—but some of his allies definitely are. More traditional Republicans, like Marco Rubio, also seem more comfortable operating in a Cold War dynamic.
Moreover, geopolitical and historical realities militate against an alliance of autocrats. Russia simply cannot appear to submit to US orders. In the coming days, it may be tempted to snatch a favourable deal, but this may be outweighed by other geopolitical considerations, including rivalry in the Arctic and the Middle East.
What Trump has managed to do is scare Europeans into investing more in their NATO commitments, without taking any concrete steps towards European unity. All this while reducing Ukraine to a colonial fiefdom, bound by a neo-colonial 'minerals' deal that looks more like protection money paid to a gangster. I do not blame Zelenskyy for accepting the deal while facing daily and brutal bombardments. But in the long term, this deal is bound to be fodder for Russia’s ability to destabilise Ukraine—simply because it strengthens the narrative that pro-Western politicians like Zelenskyy have sold their country to spite Russia. This is not like joining the EU or even NATO, as it does not come with security guarantees or democratic safeguards. It is just what the Italian mafia calls pizzo.
Of course, there is only one alternative to this: a United States of Europe founded on the values of the post-war struggles for democracy, social justice, and personal autonomy and freedom. A Europe that engages with the Global South, challenges the appeal of autocracy, and builds trust by finally taking a stance against the genocide in Gaza. Sure, this may look delusional and against the direction in which the wind is blowing. For let’s face it: electoral majorities are swinging in the opposite direction. This is also having a chilling effect on the institutions, the courts, and even the media. We are living in reactionary times. But let’s not forget—it looked that way in the 1920s and 1930s. It also looked that way in the 1820s and the 1870s. We are about to enter a long, dark winter—but one which will trigger resistance, and hopefully, another 1848.