When Donald Trump secured his second term as president, several wealthy liberals threatened to leave the country. Most were bluffing. Ellen DeGeneres wasn’t.
Once the queen of daytime television, Ellen packed her bags and moved to the English countryside with her wife Portia De Rossi. Seeking refuge from the political climate, the couple soon discovered that the grass isn’t always greener. Sometimes, it’s entirely scorched.
Their £15 million ($18 million) Cotswolds estate has sparked outrage among locals, with accusations that renovations are creating a flood risk and disturbing ancient Roman ruins. It’s an ironic twist — fleeing the hostility of America, only to face a different kind of hostility abroad.
Unless you live under a rock on a distant planet, you probably recognize that Britain has many problems, perhaps more than the U.S. Additionally, there is resentment toward Hollywood elites who want to cosplay as country squires.
Ellen and Portia’s miscalculation is a fitting example of a rising trend: disillusioned Americans, especially the wealthy, looking across the Atlantic for a better life. With its old-world charm and perceived civility, Europe seems like a paradise compared to America. But appearances can be misleading.
Americans have an outdated view of Europe. The continent they imagine is a laughable construct—an idyllic place where people sip coffee in pristine plazas, read philosophy in grand libraries, and enjoy universal healthcare without a second thought. In reality, Europe is in dire straits. I say this as a once-proud European.
Societies are crumbling. Crime rates are soaring. Europe is disintegrating.
And when I say Europe, I don’t just mean the usual suspects — the U.K., France, and Germany, all facing their own challenges. The rot runs deeper.
Take Sweden, for instance. Once celebrated as a progressive utopia, Sweden now faces an average of more than one bombing each day. Yes, bombings. Streets that once symbolized Nordic serenity now echo with screams and sirens, as gang violence spirals beyond the government’s control. Entire neighborhoods have been effectively abandoned, transformed into no-go zones where criminals rule and families fear stepping outside after dark.
From Stockholm to Södertälje, Sweden’s streets are now battlegrounds. Imported gangs exploit lax laws and a generous welfare state, recruit online, extort businesses, and settle scores with explosives. Shootouts have become routine. In fact, the situation is so dire that the government, grasping for control, is now considering lowering the criminal age to 14 — a desperate and humbling admission of failure.
Sweden’s decay highlights the cost of unchecked immigration — reckless policies that opened the gates without any integration plan. And it’s not just Sweden. Even in Austria’s capital of Vienna — a city once synonymous with art, culture, and elegance — violence reigns supreme. Stabbings and sexual assaults have surged to such an extent that armed military personnel now patrol the streets — a scene once unimaginable in the heart of Europe. The city’s charming cafés and historic opera houses now coexist with a rising wave of violent crime, much of it perpetrated by individuals not born in Austria.
Beyond crime, the bureaucratic nightmares of living in Europe are enough to shatter any American’s dream. The red tape that frustrates Californians isn’t unique — it’s standard practice across the continent. Even the simplest tasks in Europe can feel like an endurance test.
Something as routine as opening a bank account or securing a rental turns into a slow-motion nightmare, full of endless waiting and officials who seem to take pride in doing as little as possible. Often romanticized as a hub for creatives and free spirits, Berlin is one of the worst offenders. The city may celebrate rebellion and artistic chaos. However, when it comes to paperwork — even seemingly simple paperwork — it requires a near-religious devotion to rigid, outdated procedures. Even Kafka would struggle to make sense of it.
Another common misconception is that Europe is much more affordable than the U.S. While this may have been true decades ago, many of the continent’s major cities today are just as expensive — if not more so. London, Copenhagen, and Geneva rank among the priciest places in the world, where even a modest apartment can drain a six-figure salary.
The grass might look greener from a distance, but once you’re knee-deep in mud, reality hits fast — and hard. With a net worth of almost half a billion dollars, Ellen can afford to weather the storm. However, the average American seeking a better life abroad will likely face disappointment.
Despite its many flaws, America isn’t necessarily the issue. There’s still so much to love — the scenery, the music, the food, the humor. Nowhere else quite matches its energy or sheer possibility. You can speak your mind, reinvent yourself, and chase something better. The real problem lies in the largely unfounded belief that life is better elsewhere. Many Americans believe Europe holds the answer. Take it from a European — it doesn’t.
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