Trump’s Iran showdown is becoming Europe’s political nightmare – POLITICO

BRUSSELS ― Europe’s leaders have a new fear: Donald Trump’s standoff with Iran is about to turn from an economic shock into a political crisis for the bloc’s fragile center.

With energy prices climbing and growth sputtering, pro-EU governments are bracing for a crisis they have little power to stop — and that could rip through the bloc’s already weakened political mainstream.

Across Europe, unpopular incumbents are facing a populist backlash that could strike hard enough next year in France to propel National Rally to victory, putting the far right in the Élysée Palace and sending shockwaves around the world.