Mr Trump and his political brother

Mugabe and Trump, children of the same monster

Victor Angelo

 

Despite the welcome news from Georgia, the essence of American political week has left many of us stunned on this side of the Atlantic. Among other things, it has reminded us that democracy is a never-ending struggle that can never be considered as definitely won. It has also shown us that solid institutions make it possible to defend democracy when attacked by demagogues, opportunists, charlatans, would-be dictators, or mere thugs. But beware, for we have also seen some among these people trying to use the workings of the institutions to try to consummate the assault on power.

At the centre of the anti-democratic onslaught is, as is well known, the infamous Donald Trump. Curiously, as I followed his manoeuvres, I was reminded of the late Robert Mugabe, who had been at the head of Zimbabwe for decades. It may seem unreasonable to put Trump and Mugabe in the same bag. Especially since Mugabe was an educated politician, skilled in diplomacy and knowledgeable in geopolitical intricacies. It is difficult to compare a tyrant whose official behaviour made one think of the image one has of a Scottish aristocrat, while his acolytes eliminated opponents of the regime, with an egomaniac, who behaves like a brainless ruffian. So, I do not compare. But Trump's phone call to demand, over an hour of barely-contained threats and anger, that the Georgian election official "find" - invent - the number of votes needed to falsify the results, and place the loser as the winner, would not fall behind the electoral fraud that Mugabe used to orchestrate. When I have raised the issue of cheating on a number of occasions, the Zimbabwean leader has always told me that anyone who is on the perch, and lets the victory slip away, should be seen as a political fool. Now he, fool, was not.

As Trump considers himself a genius, he cannot accept defeat. Especially against someone he considers weak, a sleepy old fellow. Mugabe, too, looked down on his opponents with great contempt. The same line with various nuances actually unites the dictators.

I never imagined that an American president would make me think of the despots I found in lost corners of the world. I am equally concerned when I see senators and members of the House of Representatives supporting, submissively or opportunistically, Trump's slippage and coup attempts. My concern rises to the level of the nightmare when I notice that millions of American citizens obsessively support these anti-democratic attempts. The conclusion is terrifying: an important part of American society is imbecilely radicalised. There is a latent danger of violence here, both internally and on the international stage. The profoundly serious disorder that has now taken place in Washington, instigated by the ruffian, makes me fear the future.

In view of this, the EU must be prudent in its relations with the US. The next few years - for as long as the Biden administration lasts - may just be a brief time of common sense, in a more complex and worrying political landscape. Next time, it will be possible for the presidency to be taken by any successor to today's coup plotter, same style but in a more intelligent version. In time, such a leader could take the country into international confrontation, dragging Europeans into this madness. What happened in Afghanistan or Iraq, with Europeans on a leash, would be seen, in comparison, as simple fighting between rival neighbourhoods.

The EU must use Joe Biden's mandate to strengthen its autonomy in vital areas of domestic and international politics. This means maintaining a cordial but more balanced and progressively emancipated relationship with the US. I, therefore, believe that strengthening European cohesion, in its different dimensions, must be an absolute priority for the next four years. It is not an easy task, especially after the revival of nationalisms due to the pandemic and in view of the lean period ahead, but it is a task that must be conducted. The planned Conference on the Future of Europe, a process which requires the participation of citizens and needs to be quickly reborn from the ashes, must also contribute to this.

 

(Automatic translation of the opinion piece I published today in the Diário de Notícias, the old and prestigious Lisbon newspaper)