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Former European Fee chief Jean-Claude Juncker has criticised his successor, Ursula von der Leyen, for not participating personally to shortly stave off Donald Trump’s commerce struggle.
“I think that the commission would have been better advised to try to have a meeting as early as possible, because it was foreseeable that he would come back to the [trade] issue,” Juncker instructed the Monetary Occasions.
“There will be no deal without the active presence of the president of the commission,” he added, talking in his Brussels workplace 5 flooring under von der Leyen’s.
The US president this yr reimposed tariffs on EU metal and aluminium that he had launched in his first time period and which Juncker was in a position to get suspended in 2018 by promising that the bloc would purchase extra US fuel and soyabeans. Trump has additionally threatened to impose a 50 per cent levy on all EU imports if present commerce talks with Brussels fail by July 9.
Juncker stated he noticed Trump at the least seven occasions earlier than sealing the deal in 2018.
In contrast, von der Leyen has not had a devoted bilateral assembly to debate the commerce dispute, as a substitute solely briefly chatting with Trump on the sidelines of worldwide occasions such because the funeral of Pope Francis in April or the World Financial Discussion board in Davos in January. She is collaborating in a G7 summit in Canada on Monday, which Trump can be attending, however officers in Brussels had been uncertain whether or not they would talk about commerce on the sidelines.
Juncker acknowledged it was “more difficult” for von der Leyen as Trump’s hostility in direction of Europe is extra pronounced and he makes fewer travels overseas in contrast together with his first time period. However delegating the talks to commerce commissioner Maroš Šefčovič was a mistake, Juncker stated.
Trump “seems to me to be more or less the same”, the previous Luxembourg premier stated. However the US president was now saying in public what he was beforehand alleging behind closed doorways, such because the accusation that the EU was set as much as “screw” the US.
Juncker stated fee officers had erred of their technique, by promising to impose retaliatory tariffs on €26bn price of US items, together with alcohol — which member states shortly rebelled in opposition to for concern of the US making good on its menace to put levies of 200 per cent on European wine and spirits. Ultimately the fee dropped US whiskey and different gadgets from its record, which solely focused €21bn price of US exports and whose implementation has additionally been suspended pending negotiations.
“I don’t know if this is a sign of weakness, but it is a sign of poor preparation because these particular sanctions could have been replaced by others having the same aim,” Juncker stated.
In contrast, Juncker recalled he “had a list of states being governed by Republican governors and so I wanted to hit him where his colleagues in the US would not be happy. Put him in difficulty. And that succeeded.”
EU officers say they’re engaged on an inventory of €95bn price of US items in case talks fail, although they admit additionally it is more likely to be decreased by nationwide lobbying.
Brussels has tried to repeat Juncker’s profitable provide to scale back the commerce deficit by shopping for extra US items however that has not made a lot impression on the Trump administration this time.
Whereas fee officers can not purchase commodities immediately Juncker stated “people here and elsewhere were in contact with the market players, telling them that they should make that effort, and they did”.
Soy bean imports “increased by 418 per cent during the six months after the agreement”, he stated.
Requested how one can cope with Trump he stated it is best to “respect him” and “talk to him in a polite way, not imitating the way he’s talking to you”.
Nevertheless, leaders ought to arise for his or her pursuits. “He respects you if you are not on your knees. I have the impression that there are European governments wanting to please him.”
Juncker recalled that Trump had known as him a “brutal killer” and a “tough guy”. “You have to respect him because you need his respect.”
The US president has known as von der Leyen “fantastic” after briefly assembly her in Rome on the papal funeral. However talks have stalled since and Trump has threatened to impose 50 per cent tariffs as a substitute of 20 per cent, accusing Brussels of “slow walking” within the negotiations.
