I’m no expert in other country’s politics, but it would be pretty surprising if that was unique to America. Boris Johnson? Nicolas Sarkozy? Silvio Berlusconi?

Not even close. The nearest equivalent is Prime Ministers Questions which is a regular staged event.

Look at the debates from 2015 where Trumps opponents are rendered speechless by his overbearing personality. He makes himself the centre of everything and is completely shameless about it. He's an American phenomenon. BUT, the reason it works is because he means what he says and does what he says he'll do. America has always appreciated straight talkers more then Europe.