Donald Trump’s return to the U.N. rostrum—on the organization’s 80th anniversary—was less address than indictment, branding the body “corrupt” while urging states to seal borders and expel migrants. His “America First” doctrine now coincides with a 19.5 % average U.S. tariff rate, the highest since 1933, as global growth is forecast to slow next year. (reuters.com)

The speech crystallizes a broader crisis of multilateral legitimacy: Washington withholds funds, Moscow stalls Security-Council action, and even mid-sized powers flirt with transactional blocs. Europe’s energy-inflation spiral and fractious U.K. politics leave little appetite—or fiscal room—for collective solutions. When the largest debtor nation treats the U.N. as nuisance rather than necessity, rule-based order becomes optional.

Yet history warns that tariff walls and border fortresses prove costly diversions. The 1930s saw trade collapse 66 % within four years, feeding the very extremism Roosevelt later called “a contagion.” We risk replaying that tape. As philosopher Byung-Chul Han reminds us, “Freedom dies when fear becomes the master emotion.”

The Gist AI Editor

Trump Doctrine on Display

President Trump, in a pugnacious address to the UN General Assembly, declared that certain immigration and green energy policies are leading to “the death of Western Europe” (FT, Politico). Questioning the body’s purpose, he asserted the UN should be stopping invasions, “not finance them,” a clear critique of global refugee and migration programs (FT). This America First posture suggests a transactional approach to alliances and skepticism of multilateral frameworks, prioritizing national sovereignty over coordinated international action. His speech signals continued pressure on allies to align with his administration’s priorities on border security and energy policy, eschewing climate accords he termed the “greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” (Politico).

Europe’s Defense Ambitions Falter

Cracks in European strategic autonomy are widening as the flagship Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a project to develop a next-generation fighter jet, is mired in disputes (Politico). Tensions center on work-share agreements, with German officials reportedly balking at French contractor Dassault’s demands for a dominant role (Reuters). Dassault’s CEO asserted France could build the jet alone, undermining the cooperative premise of the multibillion-euro project (Politico). The impasse threatens to fragment Europe’s defense industrial base, echoing past rivalries that led to competing fighter programs and potentially pushing Germany toward other partners like the UK or increased reliance on U.S. aircraft (Defense News).

Transatlantic Policy Whiplash

President Trump’s influence is creating direct policy challenges for allies, compelling public rebuttals. In the UK, Health Secretary Wes Streeting urged Britons to “pay no attention whatsoever to what Donald Trump says about medicine,” after Trump linked paracetamol to autism (FT, The Guardian). Streeting stressed there is “no evidence” for the claim, citing a major Swedish study of 2.4 million children. This unusual public health intervention highlights the difficulties for allied governments in managing policy alignment and public messaging when faced with unsubstantiated claims from the White House, forcing them to reaffirm their own evidence-based standards.

Stay tuned for the next Gist—your edge in a shifting world.

The Lib Dems’ battle for bunting Britain
— Politico.Eu

Bitcoin treasuries play havoc with merger maths
— Financial Times

UK tells patients to ignore Trump’s advice on paracetamol
— Financial Times

French and German defense giants scrap over building next-gen fighter jet
— Politico.Eu

Tuesday assorted links
— Marginalrevolution

Trump hits out at UN and allies in address to General Assembly
— Financial Times

Trump at the UN

President Trump’s address to the 80th United Nations (UN) General Assembly signaled a transactional, not celebratory, approach to the international body. He remarked that the UN possesses “enormous potential” but fails to approximate it, particularly in its role as a peacemaker (ZDF). This stance, consistent with his previous contribution cuts, puts transatlantic partners on notice. As the UN grapples with the war in Ukraine and climate change, Washington’s skepticism toward multilateral institutions could reshape burden-sharing expectations within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and influence coordinated responses to Russian aggression. The message is clear: American patience for perceived inefficiencies is wearing thin, forcing European capitals to reassess their own diplomatic and defense postures.

Energy Market Tremors

European natural gas prices are showing renewed sensitivity ahead of the winter heating season. The Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF), the continent’s benchmark, saw futures contracts close up 1.4%, settling above €32 per megawatt-hour (Ansa). While not a dramatic surge, the upward tick reflects a market finely balanced on supply-chain stability and storage levels. For European industry and households, these small fluctuations are a reminder of the persistent energy vulnerabilities that fiscal and monetary policymakers must contend with. Any unexpected cold snap or supply disruption could quickly translate these minor gains into significant price pressures, testing the continent’s hard-won energy resilience since 2022.

Catch the next Gist for the continent’s moving pieces.

Etat Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauen
— ZDF

Prime stime nel Dpfp: +0,5% Pil tendenziale 2025, +0,6% il 2026
— Il Sole 24 Ore

Heat waves in rivers increase four times faster than atmospheric heat waves
— El Pais

Linda Meiers Weg zur Hyrox-Weltmeisterin
— ZDF

Keine Feierlaune, Nato und Millimeterarbeit
— ZDF

Il prezzo del gas chiude in rialzo oltre i 32 euro
— Ansa