Western Europeans favor Harris over Trump, fear post-election unrest
3 Min Read
The poll, conducted among voters in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Denmark, indicates widespread support for Harris across various political groups.
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Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nev., Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024 (AP)
A new YouGov Eurotrack survey revealed that most Western Europeans are rooting for Kamala Harris in the US presidential election but are concerned about the potential for unrest if Donald Trump loses.
The poll, conducted among voters in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Denmark, indicates widespread support for Harris across various political groups, even among those typically aligned with conservative or far-right views.
In Denmark, support for Harris is strongest, with 81% hoping for her victory. This sentiment is similarly high in Germany (71%), Spain (65%), France (62%), and the UK (61%).
Italians were somewhat divided, with 46% backing Harris, though this still represented nearly twice the level of support for Trump.
This favorable view spans across the political spectrum, with notable support among left-leaning and centrist voters, such as Germany's Social Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in the UK.
Interestingly, traditional center-right voters also showed preference for Harris, with 89% of Denmark's Venstre and 78% of Germany's Christian Democrat (CDU/CSU) voters supporting the Democratic vice president.
Even among far-right parties, significant portions of voters expressed a preference for Harris, indicating a shift from standard alignments with nationalist, populist parties backing Trump.
In Spain, however, Trump maintained 54% support from Vox voters, while similar trends appeared among Reform UK voters (51%) and Italy's Brothers of Italy (44%).
Read more: 62% of US voters expect post-election violence, new poll shows
Fear of post-election unrest?
Despite their preferences, Europeans are not confident in the prospect of Harris' victory. Expected support for her winning ranges from a low 43% in Italy to 61% in Germany.
Regardless of the outcome, many fear political turbulence in the US, with up to 73% of Danish respondents and majorities in most other countries predicting violence if Trump is defeated. Italy is an outlier here, with only 47% seeing violence as likely.
The poll further reveals a mixed assessment of President Joe Biden's term, most commonly labeled "average" by respondents across Europe.
While many believe Harris could do a "good" or "great" job, with confidence highest in Denmark (64%), expectations for Trump are overwhelmingly negative. In each surveyed country, majorities expect him to be a "poor" or "terrible" president, particularly in the UK (69%) and Denmark (77%).
The survey paints a clear picture: Western Europeans not only prefer a Harris victory but are concerned about the stability of the US should Trump lose.
As the election approaches, Europe watches with cautious optimism for Harris, tempered by a pervasive unease about what the aftermath might hold.
Read more: 1 in 4 US citizens believe a civil war is likely post-elections: Poll
