Brussels – Journalist: “Do you imagine that in the end, there could be tariffs better than 15% for the EU?
“Donald Trump: “Better in the sense of lower?”
Journalist: “Yes!”
Trump: “NO!”
And that’s a wrap.
The story could end here, and be summarized here. In these few lines, the comedy edging toward drama over US tariffs on EU products sums up the stalemate in the negotiations and, above all, the balance of power and human relationships in their various possible forms. The reader has the difficult (hopefully not too thankless) task of passing the appropriate judgments.
The meeting between Donald Trump, President of the United States, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, is taking place in Scotland, if one can call it a discussion at all. Trump imposes his line, his rules, with the tact and grace that distinguish him. The counterpart manages to assert herself right from the start: she too has a seat of her own – the days of sitting on makeshift sofas are over.
The show takes place on the edge of a golf course owned by Trump. The markets are closed, but when they reopen, billions could go up in smoke, and Trump is playing golf. And between one hole and the other, he allows von der Leyen to meet him. That alone offers plenty of food for thought, but von der Leyen focuses on the task member states have given her: to close a deal, no matter what the cost. It doesn’t matter if it is at the expense of her image. Because the pre-meeting handshake turns into an unplanned press conference, where only Donald Trump speaks, and the questions are directed only at him. She, the host, nods along, even when she is humiliated.
“If Europeans don’t want to pay tariffs, they have to open plants in the US,” the US president joked, when in fact it is not ironic. Translated: European companies should relocate, create jobs in America and unemployment in Europe to repay the US debt. Von der Leyen is silent. And nods. The main sticking point of the negotiation? “Fairness” in trade relations, Trump argues. And here von der Leyen has a sudden reaction: “President Trump is right, it is about recalibrating relations,” she says. “We have a surplus, they have a deficit, and we want to rebalance.” Words that contradict what her Trade Commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, has said so far as he worked to defend European interests and positions, demonstrating the misleading nature of Trump’s claims.
“We do not sell cars in Europe,” Trump continued. Von der Leyen might retort that Ford, Chevrolet, and Tesla are all American brands whizzing around European streets. Trump also wants to sell more pick-ups, and his remarks are anything but accidental. Von der Leyen, once again, plays dumb. “The United States has given 60 million euros in humanitarian aid to Gaza, when there are countries that have not given a penny, including European states,” the US president continues. Von der Leyen could retort that the EU, which works with national contributions, government funds, is the leading international donor to Palestine, but instead, once again, she lets it slide.
Once again, from Trump’s monologue, yet another act: “I was playing golf, I looked up to enjoy the view, and I saw wind turbines everywhere. They are a disgrace, a terrible thing, especially for the environment. They ruin everything.” And she says nothing. She, von der Leyen, who was elected with the Green Deal, tied her name to the sustainability agenda (though offloading the most critical issues onto Timmermans, it has to be said), gets a sweet-coated slap in the face, a clear ‘screw you’ to renewables and green transition. And she remains silent. The deal is worth more than dignity. The EU of values makes it clear that the only value is commercial. Everything has a price, and everything can be sold or undersold.
Yes, the EU has an agreement in place. But credibility? Yes, the EU has avoided 30 percent tariffs. However, is there really anything to celebrate? For some companies, maybe. The worst is over until the next blackmail. Giving in to bullying means that the bully knows he can get what he wants if he continues to bully. Still, Ursula was in the front row with Trump. Better a missing chair or an empty chair? The Euro-sceptic and sovereignist right will answer if not with the EU’s complicity then certainly with its responsibility.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
