Interview: European leaders concern about Trump phenomenon and its global impact: expert

European leaders worry about the Trump phenomenon and what it could mean for the predictability of American partnership, even if he loses, a senior expert at the Brussels-based German Marshall Found of the United States has said.

Dr. Ian O. Lesser, the senior director for Foreign Policy at GMF, made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua.

"There is also some concern that Trump's candidacy could further embolden right wing populist movements in Europe, again, even if he loses," he said, noting that the angry anti-globalization and identity-driven attitudes seen in the Trump campaign will certainly remind many Europeans of the Brexit debate and the surprising result.

Britain has voted to leave the European Union after a campaign led by the U.K. Independence Party (UKIP) a few months ago.

Like UKIP, far right-wing groups such as the French Front National and Germany's Alternative fur Deutschland are enjoying record popularity, while the right-wing parties have taken the reins of government in several European countries.

"As in many other societies, assertive, sometimes angry populism has become a force on the political scene," said Lesser.

"There is a general revolt against elites and their projects across key parts of the political spectrum, including the conservative right, and the left, as the surprising support for Bernie Sanders underscored," he explained.

The rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders as formidable candidates in 2016 U.S. election is considered by many people a resurgence of populism in today's American politics, which also reveal some notable facts about U.S. political system.

"Some of the key problems are not new, including the enormous financial cost of a presidential bid, and the role of money in American politics," Lesser said.

"Trump's campaign demonstrates the power of celebrity and the openness of the U.S. system -- politics as 'brand', and vice versa," he added.

Speaking of the impact on global economy after the election, Lesser also pointed out that the attitudes of the two candidates toward new trade agreements have eroded sharply in the election season, which "complicating the outlook for TPP, TTIP and other initiatives."

In recent months, demonstrations against the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) broke out across Germany, Belgium, France and several other European countries. After 14 painful rounds of negotiations, the TTIP is still far from being sealed at present.

"In terms of negative attitudes toward both leading candidates, this has been a very unusual election year," he said. Endit