Brussels – “Our message today is clear: We are ready for a deal,” perhaps provisional but nonetheless helpful to avoid a rupture and shocks. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, spreads optimism. Negotiations continue on the trade dispute with the United States and the Trump administration’s tariffs, and nothing is ruled out, but a happy ending seems to be on the horizon. How happy, we will have to see, of course, also in light of the new US proposals that burst into the debate of the EU leaders meeting in Brussels. In the meantime, von der Leyen leaves room — and quite a lot of it — for glimmers of an agreed and consensual resolution.
At the end of the European Council, she personally addresses the matter. She does not wait for questions from reporters to discuss the issue, which is, in any case, on the table, given the deadlines: the US tariffs on ‘made in EU’ are suspended until 9 July, which is increasingly around the corner — or maybe not. Because, as Brussels debates, Washington is still scheming. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt announces that the date of 9 July “is not critical” and that precisely because of this, “perhaps it could be extended, but that’s a decision for the president to make.” No tariffs, or not yet, to continue negotiations.
“I have briefed the leaders on the current state of play of our trade talks with the United States,” von der Leyen admitted, pointing out that with the US president, there was “a good discussion” at the G7 summit in Canada. “Back then, we agreed to speed up work with a clear goal: an agreement before 9 July.” And it is here that she specifies that she is ready for an agreement.
The EU executive president’s stance — open-minded yet firm — is a result of the need to hold the line of the twelve-star bloc. The leaders’ summit opened with criticism from Hungary and its prime minister, Viktor Orban, who arrived in Brussels with harsh and direct criticism. “The American negotiator is very strong; ours is rather weak,” Orban said on his arrival. Words that prompted the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, to rally around his compatriot von der Leyen: “I support the Commission, I support the President of the European Commission in her efforts to make progress on competitiveness.”
The work in Brussels does not stop. On the contrary, they are intensifying, and will continue to do so in the light of the new American intentions, which have yet to be studied. Von der Leyen, moreover, emphasized at the press conference that,”Today we received the latest US document for further negotiations.” New elements that may shift the balance; “we are assessing it as we speak.” The next few hours will, therefore, be decisive in determining whether an agreement is really possible.
