Overview
- At the III Foro del Mediterráneo in Barcelona Anne Applebaum argued that President Trump has reoriented U.S. foreign and domestic policy so it now mirrors the values and methods of modern autocracies.
- Applebaum described contemporary autocracies as an interconnected, business‑driven network she calls “Autocracia Inc.,” whose links rely on corruption, private enrichment and coordinated propaganda rather than shared ideology.
- She said Europe now faces a two‑sided strategic threat from a rearmed, radicalized Russia and from a U.S. that no longer reliably leads democratic coalitions or treats European democracies as automatic partners.
- Her prescriptions call for concrete European capacity building: higher defence spending, a coordinated network to counter kleptocracy, technology and AI developed on European norms, data storage on this side of the Atlantic, and a capital‑markets union.
- If Europe does not act, Applebaum warned the result could be weaker rule of law, more unchecked foreign influence in politics and sharper risks to citizens who demand independent courts, free media and transparency.