'Trump is a very dangerous person for the world': EU's former top diplomat Josep Borrell

In an interview with Talking Europe, the EU's former top diplomat Josep Borrell reacts to the Democrats' victory in the US midterm elections, warning that US President Donald Trump is still "a very dangerous person for the world".

Josep Borrell spent five years at the heart of European diplomacy as the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. He helped steer the bloc through some of the defining international crises of recent years, from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine to the Gaza conflict.

A former Spanish foreign minister, he is now president of the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), one of Europe's leading think tanks.

In this interview, we look at what the US midterm results could mean for Europe. Will the so-called blue tsunami, the decisive victory for the Democrats in Congress, lead to a more constructive transatlantic relationship? Or could a more constrained Donald Trump domestically actually mean a more erratic president on foreign policy?

According to Borrell, despite the Democrats' election victory, Trump still retains veto powers and remains a "very dangerous person for the world". The former top EU diplomat also comments on the fractured transatlantic relationship, and how "Europeans have been playing the game of submission with the US".

When it comes to the war in Ukraine, Borrell is not optimistic about improvements in US funding, arguing that Europeans have effectively been "paying the bill".

We also discuss what message the Republicans' heavy midterm defeat could send to right-wing and far-right parties hoping to gain ground in Europe. With elections approaching in countries like France and Spain, Borrell believes these results are "encouraging" for the left.

However, he says it remains to be seen whether Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's decision to call a snap election for November 29 will prove to be a gamble that pays off, or whether Spain could see a far-right party enter government for the first time since the death of Francisco Franco in 1975.

Programme prepared by Oihana Almandoz, Isabelle Romero, Florine Hausfater, Perrine Desplats and Charlotte Prudhomme