Belgians appear to have lost confidence in the United States of America. A majority of the Belgian population now views Americans as adversaries rather than allies, the results of opinion research conducted for De Stemming shows. The call for a militarily and economically independent Europe is growing. ‘Belgians believe we should no longer allow ourselves to be pushed around.’
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Over half of all Belgians see the US as an adversary, more so than China!
Colin Clapson
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De Stemming gauges the political preferences and social concerns of Belgians. It is an annual survey commissioned by VRT NEWS, Flemish daily De Standaard and Francophone public broadcaster RTBF, carried out by Antwerp University and the Francophone Free University of Brussels, the Université Libre de Bruxelles or ULB. The survey was conducted in March 2026.
Adversary or ally? That was the question posed to participants of De Stemming regarding the world’s superpowers and alliances.
The result is striking: half of Belgians view the US, Europe’s traditional ally, as an adversary. Only 10 per cent still see the Americans as an ally.
This is the first time that international security has featured so prominently in this survey. As a result researchers are therefore unable to draw comparisons with previous years, but they assume that this represents a drastic change. “We have observed a particularly high level of mistrust,” says political scientist Stefaan Walgrave (University of Antwerp), who helped conduct the survey.
The survey was carried out in March, just after the start of the American and Israeli attacks on Iran. The consequences of this, such as higher energy prices due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz were major news stories at the time. That may have played a role.
Although there was already concern in Europe about US President Donald Trump’s policies since he returned to the White House – just think of his claims on Greenland or his fierce criticism of the NATO Alliance.
Much uncertainty regarding China
One remarkable finding: China is viewed as an adversary less often than the US. Around 40 to 44 per cent of Belgians see the country as an adversary.
However, there is only a very small group that actually labels China as an ally. Mainly there are more undecided respondents. Almost half of all respondents choose the option ‘neither ally nor adversary’.
And there is also concern about Chinese aggression. Almost 60 per cent of Belgians consider a Chinese military attack on the autonomous province of Taiwan in the near future likely.
‘Safe in the heart of Europe’
Belgians feel relatively safe on home soil. A small minority (12 per cent in Flanders, 21 per cent in Wallonia) believe that Belgium would be attacked directly militarily.
Walgrave attributes this to our geographical location: “I think the prevailing feeling is that being in the heart of Europe, surrounded by a number of European countries, we ourselves are not in immediate danger.”
On the other hand, Belgians are more pessimistic about conflict scenarios. Almost 80 per cent consider an American attack on a non-NATO country likely, and around a third feel the same about an attack on a NATO member state. Venezuela, Iran and Greenland (which is part of NATO via Denmark) may well have been on people's minds in this regard.
The breakdown in trust with Washington has major consequences for how Belgians view defence and the economy. There is a consensus (80 per cent and more) that Europe must become fully self-sufficient militarily.
The same applies to the economy. Now that the US is raising import tariffs, a clear majority (60 to 70 per cent) believe that the European Union must take tough economic countermeasures.
Finally, nearly 90 per cent believe that Belgium must not allow the Americans to interfere in internal affairs, a view that reflects the uproar over the remarks made by US Ambassador Bill White with regard to the due Belgian judicial process in connection with an investigation into Jewish circumcisers.
‘Belgians actually buy into the idea that: we are in a conflict with the United States and we have to fight back. We mustn’t let them push us around,’ says Walgrave.
Belgians are not turning their backs on the EU or NATO. Although there is mistrust of their largest partner (the US), 80 per cent believe that under no circumstances should we leave the alliance. Even among voters of the far-left Communist Labour Party (PVDA), there is a majority in favour of retaining NATO membership.
Belgians tend to view NATO as a collective European shield rather than an American instrument.
Communist Labour Party voters least negative about China and Russia
To be clear: the biggest adversary in the eyes of Belgians is still Russia. 80 per cent of Flemish people, 67 per cent of Walloons and 63 per cent of Brussels residents view Vladimir Putin’s country as a hostile power.
There is not a single party where a majority of its support base does not regard Russia as an adversary. The fear that Russia will undertake further military actions is real.
Attitudes towards the US follow a classic left-right divide: the more left-wing the voter, the greater the mistrust. The opposite applies to China: here it is mainly centrist voters (Flemish Christian democrat CD&V and Francophone centrist Les Engagés) who are the most critical.
Walgrave notes that Communist PTB-PVDA voters stand out in every respect. They are the most opposed to the US, yet at the same time the least negative about China and Russia. ‘For the third time in a row, we find that PVDA voters differ from other voters in terms of their international attitudes.’