PARIS — A day after the United States and European Union finalized a long-awaited trade agreement, French Prime Minister François Bayrou harshly criticized the deal, calling it a political and economic setback for Europe. Labeling it a “dark day,” Bayrou argued that the agreement compromises European sovereignty and urged immediate tariff retaliation against the U.S.
“It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, gathered to affirm their values and defend their interests, resolves to submit,” Bayrou posted on X (formerly Twitter), slamming the deal that imposes 15% tariffs on European exports to the U.S., while reducing barriers for American imports into EU markets.
France had spearheaded efforts within the EU to resist the agreement, especially following a threat from former U.S. President Donald Trump to slap a 30% tariff on European goods if a deal wasn’t reached.
France Calls for Stronger Countermeasures
Benjamin Haddad, France’s Minister for European Affairs, described the deal as a form of economic coercion, suggesting that Europe activate its anti-coercion mechanism to tax U.S. digital services or bar American tech firms from EU public contracts. He framed the agreement as a capitulation rather than a negotiation.
Divided Europe
While France and Hungary voiced opposition, the majority of EU member states — including economic heavyweights Germany and Italy — supported the agreement.
“I’m 100% sure that this deal is better than a trade war with the U.S.,” said Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s top trade negotiator, defending the pact.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the outcome, saying it had averted a damaging trade conflict and protected Germany’s export-driven economy. “This has enabled us to safeguard our core interests,” he said in a statement.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni echoed similar sentiments, calling the deal “positive” during an appearance in Addis Ababa on Sunday.
Orban Adds Fuel to the Fire
In a more colorful critique, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Trump, condemned the deal and lashed out at EU leadership. “Trump ate [European Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen for breakfast, that’s what happened,” he remarked, calling the outcome a failure of European diplomacy.
What’s Next?
The discord over the agreement has exposed deep divisions within the EU on how to manage transatlantic trade relations in the Trump era. While some view the deal as a necessary compromise to avoid an all-out trade war, others, like France, see it as a dangerous precedent.
With tensions running high, the future of EU trade policy — and its relationship with a protectionist U.S. — remains uncertain.
