EU Commissioner Warns Candidate Countries Against Ties With MAGA Movement

By Staff, Agencies

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has warned EU candidate countries against developing ties with US President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement, arguing that such relationships could conflict with the European Union’s long-term interests.

Speaking at a Centre for European Policy Studies event in Brussels on Tuesday, Kos said prospective EU members should avoid developing dependencies on outside powers that could pull them away from the bloc.

“We should not risk our future members building dependencies on others that run counter to our long-term interest,” she said.

Kos specifically criticized the MAGA movement, saying Brussels was facing “pressure from the West” from what she described as “MAGA ideologists” seeking to convince Europeans that their civilization and economy are in decline and that they lack proper democratic systems.

Her remarks come as the Trump administration has sought closer political and economic ties with nationalist and conservative forces across Europe.

Washington’s National Security Strategy released last year accused the EU of undermining “political liberty and sovereignty” and pledged to encourage “resistance to Europe’s current trajectory” while cultivating relations with “patriotic European parties.”

Kos also said the EU was facing “adversaries” seeking to influence its enlargement process. Asked whom she meant, she replied, “Clearly, Russia is one of them.”

The comments come amid growing US economic engagement in the Western Balkans, where several countries are seeking EU membership.

American-linked projects have been pursued in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania, including a controversial resort development associated with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The remarks highlight growing tensions between Brussels and Washington over competing political and economic visions for Europe, particularly as EU candidate countries seek to balance relations with the bloc and outside powers.