Six out of 10 Belgian entrepreneurs fear for the economy under President Trump

The majority of Belgian entrepreneurs believe that Donald Trump's election as president of the United States will have a negative impact on the economy in Belgium, writes De Morgen based on a survey by the Neutral Syndicate of Independents (NSZ).

NSZ surveyed 767 freelancers and small business directors about the US presidential election results. "Trump's victory came to them as a total surprise," says NSZ president Christine Mattheeuws. Only 7% thought Trump had a chance to win the election, the survey shows. While about 10% of the Belgian entrepreneurs surveyed say they would have voted for Trump, nearly half would have chosen for Hillary Clinton, 36% for neither of the two candidates, and 6% would have abstained from voting altogether.

Trump is not popular among Belgian entrepreneurs, the survey concludes, with 64% admitting they fear that his economic policies, including US market protectionism, will negatively affect the Belgian economy.

Only 4% of the entrepreneurs think Trump's policies will be good for the global and Belgian economies.