Emmanuel Macron has ripped into the European Union in an extraordinary rant. The French President fumed at Brussels for failing to agree a better trade tariffs deal with US President Donald Trump.
He said Europe “does not see itself sufficiently” as a global power, saying in a cabinet meeting that negotiations with the US would continue as the agreement between the US and EU gets formalised. Mr Macron added: “To be free, you have to be feared. We have not been feared enough. There is a greater urgency than ever to accelerate the European agenda for sovereignty and competitiveness.”
The US president met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland on Sunday (July 27) to hammer out the final details of the trading relationship between Europe and the US.
It will see a 15% tariff on most EU imports to the US. Ms Von der Leyen said the deal will bring stability and predictability which was “very important” for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.
Mr Trump said the EU agreed to buy some £556.6billion ($750bn) worth of US energy and invest £453.3bn ($600bn) more than it already does in the United States.
He said tariffs for cars and “everything else” will see a tariff of 15% and the deal meant US exporters “have the opening up of all of the European countries”.
Ms Von der Leyen had a mandate to negotiate because the European Commission handles trade for member countries.
But the Commission now has to present the deal to member states and EU politicians, who will ultimately decide whether or not to approve it.
The signals from Paris suggest it won’t be plain-sailing for the Commission president. French Prime Minister François Bayrou said the deal represented a “dark day” for Europe.
Mr Macron’s doubts compare starkly with support for the deal from other leaders, including Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who said the agreement was very welcome.
The Fianna Fail leader said on Sunday: “It brings clarity and predictability to the trading relationship between the EU and the US – the biggest in the world. That is good for businesses, investors and consumers. It will help protect many jobs in Ireland.”
Mr Martin said Ireland would study the detail of what has been agreed, including its implications for businesses exporting from Ireland to the US.
He added: “The agreement is a framework and there will be more detail to be fleshed out in the weeks and months ahead.”