AHC: American-born head of state/head of government in a European country

[Expat]

Or Israel, depending on your definition of "Europe".

Yeah, was Golda from Wisconsin?

::looks it up::

Ah, I guess she was born in Ukraine, but she basically spent her childhood in Wisconsin and grew up American. It's very close.

 

[Modern Imperialism]

Or Israel, depending on your definition of "Europe".

Would probably have to be a different type of Israel. The Nazis and Holocaust greatly changed how Jews viewed themselves and how it relates to others. I would say before the Nazis and Holocaust more Jews identified as European but after those events not so much but otl Israel did favor European Jews especially early on. Hasn’t Israel had a American Jew become leader of the country in the past? Also aren’t many of the Jews who left America for Israel mostly ones who have been here for just a few generations before moving there? Israel does play sports with the European when they perform internationally but that is probably more due to their neighbors not liking them and most of those soccer games would likely end in some type of violence.

 

[Expat]

Oh wait! Eamon de Valera was born in New York City, folks we've already gotten there.

Edit: ninja'd by @SeaCambrian

 

[Captain Seafort]

Would probably have to be a different type of Israel. The Nazis and Holocaust greatly changed how Jews viewed themselves and how it relates to others. I would say before the Nazis and Holocaust more Jews identified as European but after those events not so much but otl Israel did favor European Jews especially early on.

It's European enough to be in the Eurovision Song Contest. Then again, so's Australia...

 

[Modern Imperialism]

It's European enough to be in the Eurovision Song Contest. Then again, so's Australia...

They can’t really have events like that with their neighbors those. That is probably the main reason. Imagine the issues a organization like fifa would have to deal with when Israel plays Jordan, Syria, Egypt, or Saudi. They probably don’t want to worry about a other Munich situation every time they perform.

 

[David T]

George Papandreou is this.

The OP specified "no connections to a European country for multiple generations." That's the hard part--that's what makes it a challenge. Otherwise there are way too obvious choices (starting with de Valera...).

 

[Rufus Shinra]

That's the hard part--that's what makes it a challenge.

How so? Once again, a family who immigrates with a young kid in tow could have that kid successfully get into politics.

 

[Thon Taddeo]

OTL Albania might have offered the crown to an English cricketer. Perhaps the Albanians decide on a wealthy American athlete instead, and this American accepts. However, considering how unstable Albania was in the 1920s, his reign would probably be short and unhappy.

https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/charles-burgess-fry-of-albania.232071/

 

[David T]

How so? Once again, a family who immigrates with a young kid in tow could have that kid successfully get into politics.

It's certainly conceivable, but the fact remains that most European politicians born in America (Boris Johnson, George Papandreou, Eamon de Valera) were the children of parents from the European country in which they are politically active. If it were that common for Americans to emigrate to European countries with which they had no ancestral connection (or only a distant one), settle there permanently, become citizens, and have their US-born children enter European politics, you would think that this thread would have more examples of it.