Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk pauses as he speaks, during a news conference following his meeting with Lithuania's Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte at the government's headquarters in Vilnius, Lithuania, on March 4, 2024. (AP)

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has cautioned that the era of European countries “outsourcing” their security to the United States has come to an end. He emphasized that the outcome of the upcoming US presidential election—whether won by Democrat Kamala Harris or her Republican rival Donald Trump—will not change this reality.

Tusk, who previously served as president of the European Council from 2014 to 2019, shared these insights in a post on X on Saturday, just days before the November 5 vote in the US. His comments reflect a growing sentiment in Europe regarding the need for greater self-reliance in defense and security matters.

He wrote, “Harris or Trump? Some claim that the future of Europe depends on the American elections, while it depends first and foremost on us."

Harris or Trump? Some claim that the future of Europe depends on the American elections, while it depends first and foremost on us. On condition Europe finally grows up and believes in its own strength. Whatever the outcome, the era of geopolitical outsourcing is over.
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) November 2, 2024

However, the Prime Minister stressed that the EU would only be able to take things into its own hands if it “finally grows up and believes in its own strength," insisting that “whatever the outcome [of the US election], the era of geopolitical outsourcing is over” for Europe.

Europeans want Harris

In an article on Saturday, the Financial Times (FT) reported that “many Europeans lose sleep at night” over the possibility of Donald Trump winning the election, fearing it could undermine US security guarantees to its allies, particularly those expressed through NATO and the nuclear umbrella.

The article added that “European supporters of Ukraine also worry that he might try to settle the war there on terms that amounted, in effect, to a victory for Vladimir Putin’s Russia."

On the other hand, FT explains that most Europeans prefer Harris in the Oval Office, stressing her "ironclad" support for NATO, the backing of Ukraine, and maintaining a strong relationship with the US allies. According to the FT, most Europeans would “feel more comfortable” with Harris in the Oval Office.

A poll conducted by the Savanta research company last month across Spain, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland revealed that a majority of respondents believe a Harris presidency “would be best for European security.”

Among the six countries surveyed, Spain exhibited the highest level of trust in the Democratic candidate, with 70% expressing confidence in her leadership. In contrast, Poland had the lowest level of support, with 58% backing her.

Western Europeans favor Harris over Trump

On Friday, a new YouGov Eurotrack survey revealed that most Western Europeans are rooting for Kamala Harris in the US presidential election but are concerned about the potential for unrest if Donald Trump loses.

The poll, conducted among voters in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Denmark, indicates widespread support for Harris across various political groups, even among those typically aligned with conservative or far-right views.

In Denmark, support for Harris is strongest, with 81% hoping for her victory. This sentiment is similarly high in Germany (71%), Spain (65%), France (62%), and the UK (61%). Italians were somewhat divided, with 46% backing Harris, though this still represented nearly twice the level of support for Trump.

This favorable view spans across the political spectrum, with notable support among left-leaning and centrist voters, such as Germany's Social Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in the UK.

Interestingly, traditional center-right voters also showed a preference for Harris, with 89% of Denmark's Venstre and 78% of Germany's Christian Democrat (CDU/CSU) voters supporting the Democratic vice president.

Even among far-right parties, significant portions of voters expressed a preference for Harris, indicating a shift from standard alignments with nationalist, populist parties backing Trump.