Europe is bracing for the return to the White House of former U.S. President Donald Trump at a time when its own political house is in disorder, with many of its top political leaders teetering and a major war raging on its doorstep.
The leadership of the trans-Atlantic alliance is about to be placed back in the hands of a U.S. president with little regard for multilateralism and even less interest in promoting the democratic ideals that made the West a beacon—if a flawed one—to millions around the world.
Who will lead Europe at this perilous time? Some of the region’s leaders are well known. But others, including some that will play a pivotal role during the coming years, are less familiar. Here are three European figures worth watching in the coming months, as the new global reality takes shape during Trump’s second term.