Searching for an ideology inherent in Trump is completely pointless - Pabriks

RIGA - It is completely pointless to look for an ideology that US President Donald Trump adheres to; it's all about power, said Artis Pabriks, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense and current director of the Northern Europe Policy Center, in an interview with LETA.

He pointed out that in order to understand Trump's essence, one must look at both his personality, which plays a role, and how US society has developed historically, including over the last decade. "Classically, the US has always gone through waves-both up and down, depending on its international involvement. There have been times when it has been more involved internationally, and then again slipped into isolationism," explained Pabriks.

According to him, there are currently isolationist tendencies in US politics. "The classic US-European relationship, which is currently very tense, was historically influenced by the fact that American politics was based on European immigrants. Now these historical ties are beginning to fade, and fewer and fewer American families feel a connection to Europe," said the minister.

At the same time, as in many other places, including Latvia, there is growing dissatisfaction with the ruling elites in society, and a growing alienation between the government and the people. "Even in a democracy, the elite, especially if they have been in power for a long time, are preoccupied with their own interests and do not always delve into what is happening in the rest of society," said Pabriks. According to him, this has also been observed in the US over the last decade, including during the presidencies of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

"Americans say: look, our lives are becoming increasingly difficult economically. In Latvia, no matter how much we complain, we are still moving upward economically, while in the West, the economic situation is getting worse and worse," said the former minister.

He compares that in the middle of the last century, one person with a good income, in this case a man, could provide for the whole family, but today in the US, that's just not possible. There is also extreme stratification, Pabriks points out, saying that all these factors together cause great dissatisfaction.

Pabriks also highlights modern technology and social networks, which, according to him, allow such phenomena, characterized by strong populism and the ability to communicate in a different, sometimes even brutal way, to gain popularity among dissatisfied residents. "Trump uses this very successfully, ignoring the traditional media but communicating very actively on social networks," explains the former minister.

According to Pabriks, Trump has been able to address a fragmented society. Among other things, by asking why the US should pay for the protection of Europeans when they have money themselves. "A logical argument. Trump also asks why the US should take in millions of immigrants, and instead we should throw them out. Objectively, this is an unresolved issue, similar to the situation in Europe. In summary, Trumpism is American, but there are many things about it that also work in other societies," says Pabriks.

Another thing Europe should learn from is how quickly the balance of power, or "checks and balances," collapsed in the US, Pabriks believes. He points out that the US is supposedly a bastion of democracy, but this balance of power is simply crumbling in the face of Trump.

"America is an oligarchic democracy. To become president of the US or hold any other serious elected office, you need a lot of money. The financial restrictions on political parties that exist in Europe are unthinkable in the US," says Pabriks, adding that in Latvia it would be unthinkable for someone like Janis Berzins to donate a million to a party's campaign and then become an ambassador.

Pabriks also says that it is absolutely clear that Trump has no ideology and that it is all about power. "It's all about power. The fact that Trump is attractive, different, unorthodox, of course appeals to many. Looking for an ideology inherent in Trump is completely futile," says Pabriks.