The divided European Union is relieved to avoid Donald Trump’s tariffs
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European leaders breathed a collective sigh of relief on Monday as Donald Trump focused the fire elsewhere during his inauguration speech.
Although the new US president has promised to impose tariffs and taxes on foreign countries to enrich our citizens, and announced that the US will withdraw from the Paris Agreement on limiting carbon emissions, a cornerstone of EU policy, he has gone beyond listing specific measures.
European leaders chose to reflect on potential differences with Washington, with many congratulating a leader who has been vital to Europe’s security and prosperity for 80 years.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa congratulated Trump. Same message Posted on X, sending “best wishes”.
“The EU looks forward to working closely with you,” von der Leyen and Costa wrote.
Best wishes President @realDonaldTrump Your tenure as the 47th President of the United States.
The EU looks forward to working with you to tackle global challenges.
Together, our communities can achieve greater prosperity and strengthen their collective security.
this is…
– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 20, 2025
Trump’s presidency has divided European politicians with some far-right groups over his domestic policies, including his promise to crack down on illegal immigration.
Italy’s right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was the only leader invited to the union’s inauguration, while senior EU officials such as von der Leyen have yet to meet the new president.
Meloni is positioning herself as a dynamic with Trump on behalf of the European Union. Writing on XItaly will always be committed to strengthening the dialogue between the United States and Europe as an important pillar for the stability and growth of our societies.
Several far-right party leaders from Belgium, Germany, Spain and France attended the inauguration.
Trump wants to weaken Brussels, give national capitals more control and change policies to reduce carbon emissions and police online speech.
Hungary’s far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Trump’s return would boost the nationalist right’s resurgence in the bloc. “I will begin the second phase of the offensive aimed at capturing Brussels,” he said on Monday.
Other politicians looking to get along with the new US president include Polish President Andrzej Duda, who told reporters before leaving for the World Economic Forum in Davos: “I have no doubts about my good relationship with President Donald Trump.” To stand among the people of Washington to demonstrate these good relations.”
Meanwhile, the EU Economic Commissioner in Brussels, Valdis Dombrowski, reminded the new US president that “the EU and the US have the largest trade and investment relationship in the world.” There are many economic problems here.
If tariffs are imposed, the EU has warned that it is ready to retaliate with its own measures, as it has done in the past during the Trump presidency. “If it is necessary to protect the economic interests of Europe, we are ready to do it,” said Dombrovsky.
Trump also told Europe that it should pay more for its defense and proposed to raise the NATO contribution to 5 percent of GDP. Many union members are still below the 2 percent target.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has pledged that the alliance will increase military spending under the new president’s term. “When President Trump returns to office, we’ll pay for defense spending and production,” Ruth said He wrote on X on Monday.
But the EU is divided on how to fund the increased funding.
Guy Verhofstadt, former prime minister of Belgium and president of the pro-EU European Movement International campaign group. X is described The team was “completely unprepared for this scary new world,” he said.
“Welcome to America’s new administration in an oligarchy, where the billionaire members of Mar-a-Lago decide American policy. And guess what? Protecting the EU or Europeans’ living standards is not on their list of priorities!”
Business leaders in the EU are also bracing themselves for the next four years. In a survey by AmCham EU, which represents US companies with EU operations, nine out of 10 report that trade and investment relations between the EU and the US will worsen.
Some two-thirds expected US policies to have a negative impact on their activities in the EU.
Additional reporting by Raphael Minder in Warsaw