EU MEP Slams Trump Trade Deal as a Humiliation and Broken Promise

The European Union’s controversial trade agreement with the United States, hammered out under Donald Trump’s administration, is unraveling amid fresh threats from the former president to impose punitive tariffs on EU cars. French MEP Aurore Lalucq, chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, has openly condemned the deal as a mistake and a humiliation for Europe.

Speaking to Euronews, Lalucq did not mince words. She questioned why the EU ever trusted an administration she described as incapable of keeping its word. “I don’t see how anyone can strike a deal with an administration that doesn’t keep its word,” she said, highlighting the unpredictable and aggressive tariff threats Trump has made since the deal’s signing in July 2025.

The agreement, negotiated between then-US President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Turnberry, Scotland, promised to eliminate EU tariffs on US goods while capping US tariffs on EU cars at 15 percent. Instead, Trump recently threatened to raise tariffs on European cars to 25 percent, a direct violation of the deal’s limits.

This move follows a pattern of Trump using tariffs as leverage for unrelated political goals, including his earlier attempt to pressure the EU during his push to acquire Greenland. The deal had already been suspended earlier this year by MEPs wary of Trump’s capricious trade tactics.

Lalucq’s criticism also underscores divisions within the EU’s Socialists & Democrats group. While Lalucq calls for a tougher stance and outright rejection of the deal, other prominent socialist MEPs like Bernd Lange advocate for moving forward with the agreement but attaching safeguards. These safeguards under discussion include conditional tariff cuts and a “sunset clause” that would terminate the deal in 2028 unless renewed.

EU member states remain split, with countries like Germany and Italy pushing to preserve the original deal despite its flaws, reflecting differing national interests. European officials are cautiously awaiting a meeting between EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, hoping to ease tensions.

Lalucq’s blunt assessment is clear: signing the deal was a strategic blunder that has left Europe exposed to economic blackmail and diplomatic humiliation. Her call for a tougher European response reflects growing frustration with an administration that weaponizes trade agreements for political gain, threatening not just economic stability but the credibility of the EU on the world stage.

As negotiations continue, the EU faces a critical test in standing up to Trump’s erratic trade policies and protecting its own economic interests from further damage. The question remains whether Europe will learn from this episode or continue to be outmaneuvered by a US administration that treats agreements as disposable tools.