What the US-EU trade deal says about France's diminishing voice in Europe
Last weekend the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen flew to Scotland where she met President Donald Trump to discuss and ultimately agree on a trade deal between the European Union and the United States. But no sooner had the pair shaken hands on the agreement than the entire French political class slammed the deal, with government ministers also making clear their dismay. Yet for the French executive as a whole, this “deal” raised even more awkward questions: for it reveals Paris's diminishing influence on the European stage. Ilyes Ramdani reports.
ComingComing from a head of government, it was an unusually blunt comment. The day after the trade agreement was signed between the European Union (EU) and the United States, François Bayrou called it a “dark day” in a post on X. At the same time as managing to mangle the name of the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the French prime minister bemoaned the “submission” that he claimed the institution had shown during her trip to Scotland on Sunday to shake hands on the deal.
