Long-standing concerns in EU capitals about the suitability of US President Joe Biden are increasingly being voiced publicly.

During a meeting between Joe Biden and a EU leader earlier this year, the European delegation was relieved to experience the U.S. President being sharp and clear—until the end of the conversation. "He ended the meeting with the same anecdote he had started with," said a person informed about the discussion. "Everyone's heart sank.

Concerns about Biden's age, mental acuity, and ability to defeat Donald Trump in the November elections have steadily grown in European capitals this year. Governments fear what a return of Trump would mean for transatlantic trade and security relations as well as Ukraine.

These fears reached their peak on Friday morning when European officials watched Biden's catastrophic debate performance with horror, with many taking the rare step of openly criticizing a sitting U.S. president.

The concern comes at a time when centrist European parties are battling against a growing wave of right-wing populists and populist politicians. Hard and extreme right parties won about a quarter of the seats in the European elections, while France's extreme right threatens to win the largest share of votes in the snap elections on Sunday.

‘Perhaps Europe will finally wake up after the first TV debate,’ said Michael Roth, SPD member and chairman of the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee. ‘Hoping anxiously that Biden will be re-elected is of no help at all.’

A possible second Trump presidency is seen as a significant geopolitical threat in Europe, particularly as he expressed doubts about defending NATO allies in the event of a conflict and promised high tariffs on transatlantic trade. European diplomats are working on damage control measures while simultaneously hoping that they will not be necessary.

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"EU officials in Brussels, who have enjoyed a much more cohesive relationship with the Biden Administration, acknowledge Biden's visible physical decline over the past four years. Several European diplomats who attended the G7 summit in Italy, where Biden skipped the formal summit dinner, privately noted his noticeable difficulty concentrating and physical limitations.

Politicians in Germany, a country that was particularly targeted during Trump's presidency, have expressed deep concern over Biden's weak debate performance.

Michael Link, FDP parliamentarian and part of the governing coalition, said: "It was sometimes hard to understand what Biden was saying." He added that the Democrats would have to decide at their convention in August whether they really want to nominate Biden as a candidate.

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"Trump's statements in the debate were alarming for Germany and Europe," said Link. "His statements on foreign policy are confusing and irritating, for example when he claims he would solve the war in Ukraine with Putin, naturally without mentioning the Europeans.

Norbert Röttgen, CDU representative and foreign policy expert, said: “The Democrats need to change their candidate now.”

In Poland, the U.S. presidential race is being watched with concern as Russia threatens NATO's eastern flank and neighboring Ukraine heavily relies on U.S. arms deliveries. Politicians on both sides of the Polish parliament have long regarded Washington as their most important security partner.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski joined the voices suggesting that Biden should consider stepping down to avoid a catastrophic handover. "It's important to manage his ride into the sunset," Sikorski quipped.

In Italy, where Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini openly voices his support for Trump, other members of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government have been more reserved and have not made public comments on the debate or on Biden's alarming performance.

The former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, now a centrist opposition member, has openly called for Biden to resign and make way for an alternative candidate. "Joe Biden can't do it anymore," Renzi wrote on X. "As a senator, vice president, and president, he has served the USA honorably. He does not deserve an inglorious end... making a change is a duty for everyone.