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The Marquess of Salisbury suggested Brussels bosses “will soon find out” whether the bloc is equipped to survive a series of potential rejections at the ballot box as early as next month. Following President-elect Trump’s shock victory over Hillary Clinton last week, Lord Salisbury highlighted elections in France, Germany and the Netherlands in 2017 as “a huge year in the history of Europe and of the EU”. Far-right politicians, all sceptical of the EU, are currently riding high in polls in each of those three major European countries. French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders and Germany’s anti-migrant Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party have all hailed President-elect Trump’s success as a sign their far-right politics could sweep to success next year.

GETTY Donald Trump could spark a populist tide across Europe, Lord Salisbury claimed

Lord Salisbury, a former MP and leader of the House of Lords, claimed the first evidence of whether a “Trumpist tide” will pour across the continent in 2017 will be seen at the beginning of next month. He cited Italy’s constitutional referendum and the re-running of Austria’s presidential election, both scheduled for December 4, as a likely “indication of how Trump’s triumph is affecting European politics; and of what might happen in next year’s French, German and Dutch elections.”

We are obsessed with examining our own navels in the matter of Brexit and we all too easily forget the hole the EU is in Lord Salisbury

Writing for website Reaction, the peer said: “The results of both polls will indeed give us some pointers to the way the EU is swinging, but they may also themselves influence the outcomes of the 2017 elections in neighbouring countries.” Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi could be toppled if he loses his country’s constitutional referendum, having initially promised to resign if his reforms are rejected at the ballot box. Opposition to Mr Renzi’s proposals are being led by the country’s populist and eurosceptic Five Star Movement, fronted by comedian Beppe Grillo. The re-running of Austria’s presidential election, following a court challenge, could see far-right populist Norbet Hofer elected to the largely ceremonial position. But the anti-Islam and eurosceptic politician has vowed to use the presidential power to dissolve the country’s parliament and hold new elections, as well as to veto new EU trade agreements.

President-Elect Donald Trump in pictures Tue, December 13, 2016 Donald John Trump is an American businessman and politician who is President-elect of the United States as well as chairman and president of The Trump Organization Play slideshow 1 of 64