William Donahue is the President of the College Republicans of America, the largest youth organisation of American Republicans. And he is in Cluj these days to take part in the event organised by the ECR Group, during which some of the hottest issues for conservatives in Europe are being addressed, from the environment to migration, to the need to rebuild a society based on those strong and firm values at the basis of our history.
In an exclusive interview for La Voce del Patriota, Mr. Donahue reviews some of the fundamental aspects of today’s foreign policy, with a particular focus on those principles of freedom and democracy that should guide the entire West, without the icy bureaucracy that has too often guided and still guides the actions of many of the global political actors prevailing.
You are a representative of the American Republican mainstream. One of the crucial issues addressed by the Trump administration is the environment, whose posture seems quite different from the European one. From your point of view, what is the substantial difference between the two parties?
First of all, it has to be said that the United States has adopted a very clear position on the famous green energy policies. Such policies, as pursued by the Union in recent years, all too often turn out to be more a matter of business than anything else. In particular, according to Trump, everything concerning the environment, as addressed so far, seems to be more a matter of propaganda. There does not seem to be any real work being done to save the planet. Much, much too much money is just being spent. This is largely the position that the American Republican Party has, and I think many Europeans think so too. But it’s a really complex discussion, especially if we look at Europe today. What I can say is that Trump has very clear ideas on this, and he is trying to implement them as much as possible.
Given the absolute importance of the topic, in your opinion, will the ideas of the US and the EU ever be able to come together and arrive at a mutually beneficial synthesis?
The fundamental problem here is that Brussels does not like Trump. But that’s OK. The so-called ‘global bureaucrats’ certainly preferred the Biden administration and would have looked favourably on a possible presidency of Kamala Harris, because in reality both in Brussels and Washington these bureaucrats are on the same page. But our job is still to fight against this elite. To fight to secure national sovereignty, and to build fruitful cooperation between countries. This is the general direction of conservatives, and is therefore also the line that Trump intends to pursue.
So you said that the ‘global bureaucrats’ do not like Trump and the conservative movement in general. On the other hand, we have a lot of people and voters who increasingly identify with conservative ideas. What do you think of this contrast?
I believe that basically bureaucrats are to be understood as opponents of the people. One example of this is the case in Romania, where the last elections were cancelled because, basically, the result did not convince the higher-ups. However, all this cannot and must not stop democracy. And in fact we now have a conservative candidate, George Simion, who claims this principle of democracy. That principle whereby we must be free to elect who we want to represent us. This is very important. The left has tried to undermine democracy, not just by using, but by abusing the law. They have tried to silence the people. But they have not succeeded and they will not succeed. And that is precisely why, even as an American, I support Simion’s candidacy. Because we must protect everyone’s freedom at all costs, we must protect Romania and its democracy. In the event of defeat, this would be the beginning of decline. And we cannot allow that; it would be disastrous not only for this country, but for Europe in general and also for the United States. And so when I say that I support Simion, I mean that I actually support not only a single person, but also and above all the fundamental principle of democracy based on what the people want.
Between now and the next four years, do you believe that the US-EU relationship, with the efforts of conservatives on both sides, can build a better social, political and economic reality for all?
Of course, I certainly hope so. I am a second-generation American citizen. My mum came from Greece, which also made me realise how important it is to defend one’s origins and how Europe is connected to the United States of America also from a historical and cultural point of view.
The conflicts that are invading us, not only those of a warlike nature, but also economic and commercial, represent something that is absolutely destructive. For all of us. I hope that relations between the two sides of the ocean can grow and improve. Above all, I hope that the conservatives can gain in importance, so that they can truly give the people a voice again. And I also hope that relations between the US and the EU will normalise as soon as possible, because only through a calm and relaxed relationship can we have results that will benefit both sides.
