Interesting take from the European Council on Foreign Relations director: those steps European leaders are rolling out to appease Trump? Turns out they're measures Europe needed anyway. Nothing groundbreaking there.

But here's the kicker—the exact same logic applies when dealing with the MAGA movement's ripple effects across Europe. Whether it's trade adjustments, defense spending, or policy pivots, the playbook doesn't really change. It's less about reacting to one political figure and more about adapting to shifts that were already overdue.

So are they scrambling because of Trump, or just finally doing their homework? Probably both. Either way, the underlying message is clear: external pressure sometimes just accelerates what should've been done ages ago.