Winners, losers, the EU: Five takeaways from the US midterms

The Democrats not only made significant gains in Tuesday's midterm elections but also took control of both chambers of Congress. Here are five insights that can be drawn from this moment.

1. US democracy is alive and well

The storming of the Capitol, attempts to change the rules of the electoral process, a spate of presidential executive orders to bypass Congress and many more examples sparked concerns that the US' vaunted democracy was being transformed into an authoritarian system under Donald Trump. But the country's democratic institutions have proven more resilient than many had feared.

Many voters were driven by their opposition to Trump's desire to rule with unfettered power. Instead they want to see country's institutional safeguards strengthened.

A  post-election survey by news agency Associated Press found that about 30% of voters thought the state of democracy was the country's biggest problem. About 70% felt that Congress was not doing enough to provide checks and balances on the president.

This midterm result sends a clear signal that voters want stronger parliamentary oversight. President Trump could of course continue trying to govern through executive orders, bypassing Congress. But Congress sets the budget.

This means the Democrats, who now control Congress, can deny the president the funds he needs for his political initiatives. They can also set up investigative committees, which puts the Trump government under considerable pressure to justify its actions.

2. The Democrats can still win elections

For a long time, the Democratic Party lacked compelling leadership, a unified approach and a clear answer as to how it intends to win votes. Tuesday's election proves the party is still a political force to be reckoned with.

Its gains in many Republican strongholds are nothing short of sensational. The party was even able to score victories in Texas and South Carolina. In Kansas, the Democrats won a Senate seat for the first time since 1932.

The midterms have also put the spotlight on a new generation of Democrats: Younger politicians, some of them noticeably more progressive, who could chart a fresh course for the party.

Take, for instance, the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, an organization which is considerably more left-wing than the Democratic Party itself. At least five candidates endorsed by the DSA have been elected to the House of Representatives.

The DSA advocate for strong welfare policies that focus on affordable housing, health care and workers' rights. They also want to see greater checks on the power of large corporations.

"The argument was always that these folks can't win on a national stage," Brandon Bohrn, an expert on trans-Atlantic relations at the Bertelsmann Foundation, told DW. Now some of them have defied the odds and actually won, potentially sparking an internal debate about what the Democrats stand for and how they plan to win voters in the 2028 presidential election, Bohrn said.

3. The Republicans face a fierce internal battle over the party's future

Donald Trump has already made it clear that he does not hold himself responsible for this midterms defeat, taking to Truth Social to deflect any blame.

Yet not everyone in the Republican party is likely to agree. Critics of Trump who had been sidelined may feel emboldened to speak up again. The question as to whether the Republicans should abandon Trumpism will be almost impossible to ignore.

By law, Donald Trump cannot run for a third term in the 2028 presidential race so Republicans will have to think about who can. But who will take the lead? And more importantly: On what policy platform?

Tuesday's election defeat will likely accelerate this debate, making a power struggle over the Republicans' political future inevitable.

4. For Iran's leadership, Trump's defeat is good news

The war against Iran and resulting economic hardships have cost the Republicans many votes. The cost of living, in particular, was a key issue for many American voters.

The consequences of the Iran war have primarily driven up energy prices. This is likely to significantly increase domestic pressure on Trump to reach a lasting agreement with Iran.

Trump does seem keen to cut foreign policy costs, especially in areas where it has been politically controversial for his party. Shortly before the midterms, he announced that he no longer intends to provide billions in military aid to Israel. This was in relation to a deal that was meant to expire in two years anyway.

5. What the election outcome could mean for Europe

Ian Lesser, an expert on US foreign and security policy at the German Marshall Fund, believes that the midterm elections could also impact trans-Atlantic relations. "This actually makes a big difference for Europe in a number of different important ways," Lesser told DW.

The Democrats could try to reinvigorate dialogue between Europe and the US, Lesser suggests. After all, with control of Congress, the Democrats have more say on Trump's NATO policy, can influence budget decisions and military funding, and can complicate planned cuts to US support. Europe and the US may even cooperate on climate and environmental issues.

"Simply restoring a degree of trust and predictability, however we get to that, makes a big difference," Lesser said.

Not all differences will be resolved overnight though.

"Tariffs are a little tricky because there are clearly vested interests in the US in keeping some of this in place," Lesser concluded. "But in terms of new and very aggressive tariff measures, I think Congress would absolutely push back against that, on both sides of the aisle, actually."