Why a Democratic win in US midterms could adversely affect Europe

The United States midterm elections appear stacked against the ruling Republicans, with polls suggesting the Democrats average an eight-point lead in the House of Representatives and the Senate. But if Democrats take one or both houses, could they affect upcoming elections in Europe?Not fundamentally, analysts and observers have told Al Jazeera, but besides a welcome improvement in transatlantic relations, they point to two potentially adverse effects.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Hackers target US campaign finance system days before midterm electionslist 2 of 3US midterms 2026: Who’s ahead in the polls with six days to go?list 3 of 3Judge rejects Trump effort to block California ‘noncitizen’ ballotsend of listFirst, a Democratic Congress might produce complacency among Europeans regarding their own far-right movements.Second, it might spur US President Donald Trump to raise pressure on Ukraine to make a deal it doesn’t want to make with Russia.“If the Democrats win the House, let alone both houses, it will be read as, ‘you see democracies bounce back,’” said Catherine Fieschi, a nonresident scholar at Carnegie Europe, specialising in European far-right politics. It...