Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was the first to call for the protection of the “civilization of dialogue”, stressing that bigotry should not poison the spaces for free debate. EC President Ursula von der Leyen and top EU diplomat Kaia Callas expressed relief that the guests were unharmed, with Callas reminding that an event celebrating media freedom should never be a scene of fear.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the attack as “unacceptable” and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was adamant: “We make decisions with a majority, not with weapons.” Similar positions were taken by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Spanish leader Pedro Sanchez and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, for whom the protection of institutions is not up for discussion.
From Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was shocked by the assassination attempt and praised the decisive response of the agents who prevented a greater tragedy. Indian leader Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent prayers for the health of the Trump family, condemning the violence unconditionally.
The US’s neighbors also reacted sharply. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Schönbaum reiterated that violence cannot be the answer to societal divisions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pointed out that in democracies, the fight is fought with ideas, not bullets. Support also came from Ukraine, where Foreign Minister Andrii Sibiga stressed that there is no justification for such violence.
All leaders are unanimous, political hatred is the greatest threat to the modern world, and the survival of the presidential couple is a victory for the civilized order.
