Finland's president taunts US EU critics: “I'm leaving out that Europeans are happier. I'm damn happy”

Whenever American politicians talk about the slow decline of Europe, they leave out the fact that Europeans are happier and safer, according to many international indicators, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Saturday, Politico informs, taken over by News.ro.

“I don't buy the argument that I'm doing poorly. In fact, I'm pretty damn happy,” Stubb said, smiling.

Finns have been ranked as the happiest people in the world for the past eight years, according to the UN-sponsored World Happiness Report.

The words of the Finnish president, considered one of the EU leaders with whom Donald Trump gets along well and with whom he played golf, seem to be a more relaxed reply to transatlantic criticism that Europe must change, as it risks “losing its civilization”, especially due to immigration policies.

Part of the criticism brought to Europe by politicians from the Trump administration is also found in the new National Security Strategy, published in November 2025.

The document highlights the ideological chasm that has been created between Washington and its traditional allies, describing a European continent where “economic decline is eclipsed by the real and harsher prospect of the demise of civilization.”

“The major problems facing Europe include the activities of the European Union and other transnational bodies that undermine political freedom and sovereignty, migration policies that are transforming the continent and creating conflict, censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, a drastic decline in the birth rate, and a loss of national identity and self-confidence,” the Trump administration said in the document.