French Prime Minister François Bayrou denounced the European Union’s newly signed trade deal with the United States, blasting the agreement as an act of “submission” and warning that it signaled a loss of European sovereignty. The deal, negotiated between President Trump and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a summit in Scotland, imposes sweeping U.S. tariffs on European exports in exchange for security concessions.
Bayrou asserted, “It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, united to affirm their values and defend their interests, resolves to submission.”
Under the agreement, the U.S. will apply a 15 percent tariff on about 70 percent of EU goods, including automobiles, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals. The measure halved the 30 percent rate Washington had threatened, but Bayrou declared that the compromise was “a dark day” for Europe.
French Trade Minister Laurent Saint‑Martin echoed the criticism, warning that “Donald Trump only understands force,” and arguing that Brussels should have responded with stronger countermeasures. “It would have been better to respond by showing our capacity to retaliate earlier. And the deal could have probably looked different,” Saint-Martin added.
European Affairs Minister Benjamin Haddad added that the deal would fail without the EU triggering its anti‑coercion mechanism to balance the trade relationship.
Not all EU leaders agreed. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni supported the deal as a necessary step to avoid a devastating trade war. German officials emphasized that protecting the country’s export‑driven economy required stability, even under less favorable terms.
Analysts note that the agreement extends beyond trade. In exchange for tariff concessions, the U.S. committed to bolstering European defense and continuing military support for Ukraine. Critics argue the EU traded away economic leverage for security guarantees, a move Bayrou described as “a dangerous precedent for Europe’s independence.”
Financial markets reacted sharply. The euro dropped more than 1 percent in a single day, marking its steepest decline in two months, while European stocks and bond yields slid on concerns over future growth. The European Commission plans to finalize the deal’s legal text by August 1, though it still requires formal approval from all 27 member states. France has signaled it may push back, seeking to trigger EU mechanisms to counterbalance U.S. influence.
