Following a tense negotiation period, the EU and the United States have reached a trade agreement that avoids a looming trade war. Under the terms of the deal, the EU has agreed to increase imports of American energy and military equipment, while the US has agreed to reduce its imposed tariffs on European exports from 30% to 15%. However, the agreement has been criticized by several European leaders and politicians for its perceived negative implications for the bloc’s sovereignty and economic interests.
Among the most vocal critics is Marine Le Pen, a prominent French politician and the leader of the National Rally party. She has called the agreement an economic, political, and moral ‘fiasco,’ stating that it represents a ‘surrender’ for French industry and undermines the EU’s energy and military sovereignty. Le Pen argues that the deal is not only detrimental to France but also to the entire bloc, as it forces the EU to accept terms that are worse than those previously agreed upon by the UK, which had already accepted 10% tariffs.
Le Pen’s criticisms extend beyond trade, as she asserts that the agreement sacrifices the interests of French farmers to benefit Germany’s automotive industry. She highlights the ‘clauses forcing the EU to further open the single market to American agricultural products in exchange for reduced taxes on German automobile exports.’ The French politician argues that this form of globalization is outdated and that the EU should instead be ‘acknowledging this stinging failure’ rather than celebrating it.
Her criticisms have been echoed by other European leaders, including former Belgian Prime Minister and MEP Guy Verhofstadt, who called the agreement ‘scandalous’ and ‘a disaster,’ noting that it failed to secure any significant concessions from the American side. Despite the negative reception, US President Donald Trump has hailed the agreement as ‘probably the biggest deal ever reached in any capacity, trade or beyond trade.’ EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated that the deal brings ‘certainty in uncertain times’ and that a 15% tariff rate is ‘the best we could get.’