With European ambassadors set to convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting to discuss how to respond to the latest tariffs, one EU official told POLITICO that the appetite for such a blow-up was likely to be much lower in the capitals than it is in the European Parliament, where politicians face pressure from their voters.
The ambassadors “will have a very different modus operandi,” said the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive internal deliberations on trade policy. “It’s rare that the European Parliament and Council are fully aligned, especially on a matter like this.”
Europe’s strategy in responding to Trump’s Greenland threats was in the process of being elaborated in the early hours of Sunday, as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and their top advisers traveled back to Brussels from Latin America, where they just signed the Mercosur trade deal.
As they plot a path forward, leaders are likely to be guided by the bloc’s long-term economic and security interests, namely preserving NATO while building up Europe’s ability to become self-sufficient on defense in the medium term. In keeping with this approach, von der Leyen last week announced a new security strategy for the European Union, while the bloc is also due to unveil new plans to bolster its cybersecurity this week.
But even the most sanguine observers of EU-U.S. relations admit that the current moment is unprecedented and fraught with peril for the transatlantic alliance.
“It’s a scary time,” the EU official said. “We need to keep calm and keep moving.”
Gabriel Gavin, Zoya Sheftalovich and Max Griera contributed reporting.