Europe weighs up US midterm power shift

Résumé détaillé

As of October, most goods from EU member states exported to the US pay at least 10 percent tariffs, while EU cars and auto parts pay 15 percent. FABIAN BIMMER/REUTERS Many…

By ZHANG ZHOUXIANG in Brussels and ZHENG WANYIN in London | China Daily Global | Updated: 2026-11-13 09:28

Many Europeans were relieved when the Republican Party lost control of both chambers of the United States Congress in the Nov 3 midterm elections, with the Democratic Party securing majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The elections followed almost two years of mounting strain in transatlantic ties that included Washington's tariff policies, its claims to Greenland, and repeated demands for more European defense spending.

The moves raised questions across Europe about the reliability of the US as an ally.

Differences between the US and Europe over the Russia-Ukraine crisis had added to the uncertainty surrounding Europe's security. Additionally, Europeans saw the US-Iran conflict as something that forced them to pay for US actions that disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and contributed to rising fuel prices and inflation, and an intensified cost-of-living crisis.

The Democratic Party's projected control of Congress could introduce stronger checks on the White House through legislative oversight, budgetary powers, and scrutiny of executive decisions. However, in the US political system, the president retains considerable authority over diplomacy and military operations, as well as certain tariff measures under powers delegated by Congress.

Against this backdrop, European policymakers and analysts are weighing up whether the change in the composition of Congress will make a difference to transatlantic ties.

While the Democrats' control of Congress could of fer some changes, analysts caution that things are unlikely to shift fundamentally when it comes to Washington's approach to Europe, and that it means there is unlikely to be a reversal in the continent's growing emphasis on strategic autonomy.

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