Please sign in to post.

Topics of politics

We are going to Italy in October, how do we address the United States pulling out of Afghanistan if this topic is brought up? I always find Europeans curious about our politics. Is there a tactful way to say that you don’t want to discuss politics or current events, or is this a good time to not understand Italian.

Posted by
7049 posts

What's wrong with giving someone your honest opinion? You can only speak for yourself, you're not representing the admininistration. Talking politics is not taboo in Europe. Although I doubt anyone in the tourist industry will engage with you on Afghanistan (or other politics) - if a local does, I would just answer as best as you can.

Posted by
2 posts

Thank you. I do like to talk to regular citizens of the country I visit and don’t limit my conversations to just people working in the service industry.

Posted by
323 posts

same way i would treat political conversations with strangers here. i have strong opinions but i try to gauge where they are coming from. if our views align i open up, if not i make polite non-confrontational conversation until the situation passes. on my recent trip to italy, i had at least two long conversations about world affairs with my airbnb hosts. very illuminating and one of the core reasons i love to travel. When i am on someone elses turf i try to be respectful. that goes for my rideshare drivers in the usa and foreign nationals in their own countries; being diplomatic doesn't only apply to professional diplomats!

Posted by
11055 posts

Sometimes when traveling, Europeans have brought up problems with the US government’s decisions, actually attacking us. Usually their governments are having problems too so we have brought them up as a reply. Our former President was brought up and we assured them we did NOT vote for him!
Then it all dissolves into “ government!”

Posted by
371 posts

And....no home politics within a tour group. The tour guide will probably talk about political history of the countries you are traveling in. When wandering on your own brief political discussions seem fine when the other person (foreign) asks a question. None of us are going to change another’s opinions.

Posted by
8377 posts

bluzygrl, dont assume that it would be a contentious discussion or argument. It might be interesting to hear what other people have to say, without the danger of violence, vitriol, or guns being drawn that happens here. I've had local people bring up questions about politics while traveling for 40+ years. They often have a refreshing perspective. There's always something going on and its part of life.

Posted by
3812 posts

It's not like people all over the world are upset with your whole country because Putin and Xi are having a good laugh at the US and Afghans' expense.

Mistakes can be easily forgiven when someone else is paying the price and, anyway, Italy lost "only" 53 lives in Afghanistan. I'm saying that the chances of stumbling upon some guy who's actually mad at you are really small.

Posted by
4759 posts

Engaging in conversation with locals is lovely, but if you prefer not to discuss a certain topic, then you can very politely say so, and tactfully change the subject. Heck, I don't like discussing politics with strangers even at home.

Posted by
4022 posts

Are you certain that anybody but other Americans will care?

Posted by
23177 posts

In nearly a year of European travel over nearly 30 years, only once or twice has any political discussion been raised by an European. However, it has been raised by other US citizens when we happen to share a breakfast table or rub elbows in a bar. I am not sure the Europeans are all that interested in our politics to the point of quizzing us. If you are attracting a lot of political questions then I assume your are inviting the questions via your earlier conversations. If you don't want to discuss the question, then simply say you have no opinion or are not interested in discussion that question. Really don't think it is a big issue.

Posted by
7451 posts

I have found that Europeans tend to be very good at separating the actions of a Government from the citizens of that country. When I have found myself engaged in a political discussion (for the most part it was with work related people or people I knew, but the Bush-Gore election caused some talk, and our last President some amusement) it was more that they were looking for some insight, rather than a debate. I do not recall anyone having a strong, visceral reaction, as you would get here. Europeans have a long history of complaining and arguing about politics, and have taken it to an art form, but still mostly good discussion.

Posted by
3943 posts

I absolutely hate to talk politics here in the U.S. and refuse. However, I have found that to not be the case in my limited experience with this in Europe. I just don’t bring emotion or defensiveness to the conversation - and freely admit I have no answers. I always come away with more knowledge than I started with - perspectives and personal interactions I don’t really have the opportunity to experience any other way. Maybe I don’t really discuss gun control in depth with my cab driver in Edinburgh, but being willing to let him talk about it is so interesting. I certainly don’t seek out conversations like that, but have found them extremely interesting when the situation arises. So I neither seek out nor avoid those situations. :) Nor try to explain nor have “answers”. Just my solution - and yes, I have experienced this around the multi-country breakfast table, in the cross Canada train, waiting at the bus stop in Spain, and having coffee in England, to name a few. Nothing at all initiated by me and all were non-confrontational and educational.

Posted by
14809 posts

Politics has come up in my travels--mostly during the previous administration. No one has been nasty just inquisitive.

I have come across people asking me about political activity in the U.S. more to explain what it going on since our system of government is different than theirs. (Electoral College, why there is both a House of Representatives and the Senate, why some laws are "federal" and others "state," etc.)

The one thing I try not to do, since I consider myself a guest in their country, is to criticize their country's politics.

However, the best line came from a Glasgow taxi driver about a week before the 2016 U.S. elections. Once he heard my voice and realized I was from America the conversation went like this:

Cab Driver: You have an election next week.

Me: That's right

Cab Driver: You have no one good to vote for, do you?

Me: You go that right.

Posted by
2461 posts

Political questions have been put to me by Europeans often on my travels, especially in reference to the former President! Europeans do care about American politics, usually they know more about us they we do about them.

Posted by
495 posts

When you travel in Italy remember that Italians do like talk of politic: immigration, abroad wars, terrorism...
Italians do like talk of sports (mainly soccer and big events)
Italians do like talk of medicine (Covid could be an argument for hours)
Italians do like to talk of animals, environment, cars, painting, history...

And every time Italians talk like they are the best World expert about the topic. Every topic!
In general we argue about everything and a discussion could become very hot, but usually we never pass the limit of a simple discussion: even if we can be very loud I never see start a brawl for a discussion.

So you can start a discussion about whatever you like, but be prepared because the answer could not like you. We have very different point of view about a lot of things.

Posted by
6386 posts

If brought up, we’ll provide a brief response and change the topic. It’s more likely you’ll be asked a question about whoever is the current oval office occupant. Again, we respond and change the topic especially if their opinion of the incumbent differs from ours. The one President who seemed universally disliked for his behavior was Trump and we got a kick out of how people would bring up the topic. Most would ask a question in a joking manner so any discussion would be light-hearted. If visiting the UK you’ll get Boris Johnson questions. Sometimes the questions are interesting because they (Europeans) look at our politics from a different perspective.

Posted by
7595 posts

Politics is generally best to be avoided, unless you get to know someone better. We have widely traveled in Europe and lived in Germany for four years working for the US Army.

We traveled to Eastern Europe and found more people wanted to talk politics there. We did a tour of Poland and Prague in the Fall of 1989 and the Solidarity movement was going strong, but Poland still had a communist President. The Poles all indicated that they were ready for a change, getting rid of the communists. People gave us Solidarity pins to wear and we could see change was in the air.
Also, we did a tour of Ukraine, Russia and the three Baltic States in 2011. Most of the Ukrainians were very pro-American and wanted to tell us that. In Russia, politics was hardly discussed at all. While in all three Baltic countries, those people were so happy to be free of the Soviet Union that we kept hearing about that over and over.

While in Germany, we worked with many Germans and most didn't discuss politics, we lived in Bavaria, the more conservative part of the country and most supported the CDU/CSU.

Posted by
117 posts

how do we address the United States pulling out of Afghanistan if this topic is brought up? Is there a tactful way to say that you don’t want to discuss politics or current events, or is this a good time to not understand Italian.

How about "I don't really follow that stuff" and then change the topic

Posted by
924 posts

I've removed a few posts. Please keep replies narrowly focused on the OP's topic.

Posted by
352 posts

In all my years of solo travels to Europe at least 2 times a year since 2010 I have never been asked a direct question about American politics.
My impression is that out of politeness Europeans don't ask or just don't care.
However I have been asked multiple times to explain why the US doesn't have health care. (I can't explain it!) Also is it true that Americans only get 2 weeks (or less) of vacation time is a question that has come up along with why are students in debt to pay for school.
So questions that revolve about issues that they find affect their health, education and lifestyle in United States vs what benefits their government provides.

Posted by
9404 posts

I’ve had lots of French people ask me about our politics over many decades, the French love to talk politics. During the trump years people were always asking me to explain how such a person got into the White House, they just were astounded he was there… I’m glad that question won’t come up this year.

If you don’t want to talk politics, just say so.

Posted by
2097 posts

There have been some political discussions in other European countries, but we haven't had any in Italy. They are interested in life in the US in general and our life in particular. They are gobsmacked by the enormity of the US. They can't believe we live in the country on 13 acres.