The Global Convergence of Illiberalisms: The EU between MA(E)GA and Russia offers an in-depth analysis of one of the most consequential political developments shaping Europe’s democratic future: the transnational convergence of illiberal forces linking the United States, Russia, and the European far right. The report examines how this emerging alignment is reshaping political discourse, weakening democratic norms, and creating unprecedented external and internal pressures on the European Union. The report precisely analyses how the second Trump administration and the broader MAGA ecosystem have become an unprecedented source of illiberal influence within the EU, actively cultivating political, ideological, and organizational ties with like-minded European actors. These dynamics intersect with and reinforce Russia’s long-standing strategy of undermining liberal democracy in Europe, creating a dual external pressure on the EU from both a formal ally and a strategic adversary.
The report is composed of three chapters. In the first one, a short introduction, Adam Balcer demonstrates that the contemporary MAGA movement is not an isolated political phenomenon but the latest expression of deeply rooted illiberal traditions in American political history. Central to this analysis is the revival of the idea of ethnic or herrenvolk democracy, a political model in which democratic rights are implicitly reserved for a dominant ethnic or cultural group. Moreover, the US experienced the erosion of democracy over the past fifteen years which accelerated dramatically under Trump’s first term while under the second one it transformed into the democratic backsliding.
Zsuzsanna Vegh shows that rather than treating the EU as a strategic partner, influential MAGA actors view it as an extension of their domestic culture war. Through a combination of narrative diffusion, transnational networking, and direct political engagement, MAGA-linked actors seek to empower like-minded parties and movements across the EU. These efforts target elections, public discourse, and institutional norms, challenging democratic resilience at both the national and European levels. MAGA interventionism in Europe relies less on formal structures and more on flexible, networked forms of cooperation. Shared ideological frames — such as anti-immigration narratives, “anti-wokeness,” cultural traditionalism, and hostility toward supranational governance — travel easily across the Atlantic and have become deeply embedded in the rhetoric of European far-right parties.
The third analytical component examines the growing ideological and strategic convergence between Trumpist America and Putinist Russia. Agnieszka Bryc shows that both camps share a common rejection of liberal democracy, pluralism, minority rights, and the rule-based international order. Russia actively exploits this convergence through disinformation, political networking, financial support, and symbolic alignment, positioning itself as both an inspiration and a partner for illiberal forces in the West. The analysis highlights how culture-war politics, Christian nationalism, and sovereigntist narratives serve as key bridges between MAGA actors, European far-right movements, and the Kremlin. Russia’s long-term objective — weakening European unity and undermining democratic governance — aligns with MAGA’s efforts to delegitimize liberal institutions and reshape the political center of gravity within the EU.
The report concludes that the European Union is entering a critical period in which democratic resilience will be tested on multiple fronts. The convergence of illiberalisms outlined in this study represents not merely a challenge to individual elections or governments, but a structural existential threat to the normative foundations of European democracy.
Read the whole report: Convergence of Illiberalisms
Co-financed by the National Freedom Institute – Centre for Civil Society Development in the framework of the Civil Society Organisations Development Programme for 2018-2030 CSODev
