The deal, which imposes a 15 percent tariff on most imports from the EU, “saves trade flows, saves the jobs in Europe” and “opens a new chapter in EU-U.S. relations,” he told reporters.
“It’s not only about … trade: It’s about security, it is about Ukraine, it is about current geopolitical volatility,” said Šefčovič, indicating that guaranteeing Washington’s continued military support for Ukraine and NATO played a central part in the negotiations — and in pushing Brussels to clinch a deal.
But while the EU executive hails the mere fact of sealing a deal a success, that didn’t satisfy some EU heavyweights like France and industry lobbies, which accused Brussels of giving in too easily to Trump’s demands.
Unlike German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who were quick to welcome the deal, French President Emmanuel Macron has remained silent. His Prime Minister François Bayrou, meanwhile, slammed the accord as an act of “submission” to Washington.
Germany’s main industry lobby BDI said it sent “a fatal sign” regarding the future of transatlantic trade. In France, big-business group Medef said the outcome demonstrates that the EU still struggles to win respect, while the country’s confederation of small- and medium-sized enterprises said the deal will have a “disastrous impact.”
“The lesson of this agreement: We are an economic giant but a political dwarf,” said Valerie Heyer, leader of the liberal Renew group in the European Parliament, joining the chorus of disapproval from French politicians.