STRASBOURG: How to deal with Donald Trump's disruptive return to the White House and the tempestuous forays of his billionaire ally Elon Musk into European affairs?
From one lawmaker clad in Stars and Stripes to celebrate, to a colleague warning Europe was acting like Trump's “doormat”, the EU's divisions on the matter were on ample display Tuesday in the bloc's parliament.
The 27-nation EU has been walking a fine line between guarding its interests and avoiding the ire of the mercurial US leader -- a conciliatory stance that has frustrated advocates of a firmer approach.
“The European Union is becoming the doormat of the United States, Donald Trump and Elon Musk,“ the left-wing French lawmaker Manon Aubry charged at the debate in Strasbourg, a day after Trump was sworn in.
Yet others, like Romania's Luis Lazarus who won a rebuke for sporting a sweater emblazoned with the American flag, are delighted to see the Republican septuagenarian back in office.
Since Trump's victory, European Union leaders have sought to project confidence, insisting the bloc had learned how to deal with the Republican and was prepared for his comeback.
Threats to slap tariffs on US allies, halt aid to Ukraine -- or even annex Greenland -- have barely elicited a reaction as Brussels insisted it was ready, come what may.
But as Trump's outbursts piled on, some lawmakers have grown impatient with the EU's wait-and-see attitude.
“Europe has to stand up, defend our values, and let us make Europe the leader of the free world”, said Valerie Hayer, head of the centrist group Renew.
Denmark's hard-right lawmaker Anders Vistisen put it more bluntly, declaring: “Mr Trump, Greenland is not for sale” -- and driving home his point with a four-letter expletive.
- 'Control the voters' -
High on the agenda Tuesday was the accusation of “interference” by the world’s richest man in European politics -- after Musk publicly backed a far-right party in Germany's upcoming elections.
Lawmakers have upped the pressure on the European Commission -- the EU's executive body -- to crack down on social media, including Musk's X, if found in breach of EU digital rules.
But unlike many national assemblies, the EU parliament holds little real power, particularly on foreign policy.
And the power duo have plenty of supporters in Strasbourg too.
A dozen lawmakers travelled to a freezing cold Washington to participate in the festivities linked to Trump's inauguration, as did Italy's hard-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Far-right lawmakers, whose influence has grown following June European elections, have rejected calls for the commission to firmly apply the Digital Services Act -- the EU's landmark rules tackling illegal and harmful activities online -- which could place Musk at risk of copious fines.
“When the left dominated social media, deciding who could speak and what could be said, they saw no need for debates like this. Now, as their grip slips, they suddenly demand action,“ said Nicola Procaccini of the hard-right ECR group.
“This is not to protect European consumers, but to control the voters’ ballot paper,“ echoed lawmaker Virginie Joron, of France's far-right National Rally.
