The awkward truth about some of Trump’s views on Europe? European leaders agree with him | Shada Islam

The US president's fears about woke' Europe are laughable. He would feel right at home in today's EU

I expected the EU to push back strongly against Donald Trump's new national security strategy. Not only does it show contempt for the EU and its weak" leaders, but it also targets European citizens and migrants with racist dog whistles and barely disguised Islamophobia. Yet instead of a rousing defence of the bloc's commitment to human rights and equality, there have just been bland platitudes.

Antonio Costa, the president of the European Council, denounced Trump's plans to boost support for Europe's far-right parties. But there was no public challenge to the racist logic underpinning his argument. Costa, who has spoken proudly of his mixed ancestry, could have made a convincing counterargument to the US president's false premise that Europe was heading for civilisational erasure" because of migrants and, by extension, millions of Europeans of colour.

Shada Islam is a Brussels-based commentator on EU affairs. She runs New Horizons Project, a strategy, analysis and advisory company