'We should never have signed this trade deal with the US,' leading MEP says

Published connected 05/05/2026 - 12:04 GMT+2•Updated 12:17

Aurore Lalucq, a French MEP who chairs the almighty Committee connected Economic and Monetary Affairs successful the European Parliament, told Euronews she does not recognize wherefore the EU agreed a commercialized woody with a US medication she says cannot beryllium trusted.

Her comments travel arsenic the commercialized statement sealed successful July 2025 by US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been thrown into uncertainty aft Trump threatened connected Friday to enforce 25% tariffs connected EU cars — supra the 15% ceiling agreed nether the deal.

“I don’t spot however anyone tin onslaught a woody with an medication that doesn’t support its word,” Lalucq told Euronews.

“The talking points we were fixed were that the woody would bring predictability for business. Yet since that much-hyped property league successful July 2025 betwixt Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump, there’s been thing peculiarly predictable astir immoderate of this.”

Divisions wrong the Socialists & Democrats

The statement concluded successful Turnberry, Scotland, cuts EU tariffs connected US goods to zero portion leaving the EU facing 15% tariffs and committing to large concern successful the US.

The woody had already been suspended earlier this twelvemonth by MEPs aft Trump utilized tariffs arsenic leverage successful a propulsion to get Greenland.

Last week, the US president escalated tensions again, posting connected societal media that helium could enforce 25% tariffs connected EU cars, pursuing disapproval from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the US warfare successful Iran.

European officials anticipation tensions volition beryllium eased connected Tuesday during a gathering betwixt EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer successful Paris. Since Trump’s latest threat, EU leaders person mostly stayed silent, wary of fuelling what galore spot arsenic different provocation from the US president.

Lalucq said European leaders humiliated themselves by signing the woody successful the archetypal place.

“We are representatives successful the truest consciousness of the word. When Ursula von der Leyen sits successful that country with Donald Trump, the humiliation isn’t idiosyncratic — it’s Europe being humiliated. We should person taken a acold tougher line."

As a subordinate of the socialist and Democrats radical (S&D), Lalucq's presumption contrasts with that of different cardinal socialist MEP, Bernd Lange, who chairs the salient commercialized committee and has pushed to determination the woody guardant with safeguards attached.

The divided underscores differing views wrong the S&D, the European Parliament’s second-largest governmental group, wherever positions often bespeak nationalist interests. Countries much exposed to the US marketplace person mostly taken a little confrontational stance than Lalucq regarding the agreement, portion inactive seeking to unafraid favourable terms.

Those safeguards are presently nether treatment betwixt EU governments and lawmakers. One connection would chopped EU tariffs connected US concern goods lone if Washington afloat complies with the agreement. Another — the alleged “sunset clause” — would terminate the woody successful March 2028 unless it is renewed.

EU subordinate states stay divided connected these issues, with immoderate capitals — led by Germany and Italy — favouring the preservation of the archetypal statement negotiated by the Commission past summer.

A caller circular of negotiations is scheduled for Wednesday.