On July 28, French Prime Minister François Bayrou publicly criticized the framework trade deal established between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump.
He called it a gloomy day for Europe, saying the deal represented the abandonment of an alliance of free countries under pressure from outside.
Prime Minister Bayrou wrote on social network X: "It was a gloomy day when an alliance of free peoples, founded to affirm values and protect common interests, accepted to bow its head."
Not only Bayrou, some other French cabinet members have also criticized the content of the US-EU trade deal, in which the US imposes a 15% tariff on EU goods.
European Affairs Minister Benjamin Haddad said on X: The trade deal negotiated by the European Commission with the US could provide temporary stability for economic actors threatened by US tax increases, but it is an unbalanced deal.
Mr. Haddad's opinion was also approved by French Industry Minister Marc Ferracci. In an interview with RTL, Mr. Ferracci said that more negotiations are needed, which could last for weeks or months, before the deal is officially finalized. He emphasized: "The story is not over yet". At the same time, he also stated that trade relations between the EU and the US need to be rebalanced to ensure more fairness in the long term.
These reactions show the division within the European Union on how to cope with US trade pressure. While some leaders see the deal as a temporary move to prevent an escalation in tariffs, French voices warn that the concession could harm Europe's sovereignty and common interests in the long term.
