All posts tagged: Anti-coercion instrument

EU Parliament eyes US trade deal approval with Trump-proof safeguards – POLITICO

EU Parliament eyes US trade deal approval with Trump-proof safeguards – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

There are already suspension clauses in the text, but lawmakers want to include definitions — including threats to territorial sovereignty — to strengthen them. Apart from the sovereignty clause, the definitions should specify that new tariff threats would trigger an automatic suspension of the agreement, said an official from the liberal Renew Europe group. That could pave the way for a vote on the Parliament’s position to be scheduled for the next meeting of its International Trade Committee on Feb. 23-24. For the EU to implement its side of the bargain, the Parliament and Council of the EU, representing the bloc’s 27 members, would still need to reach a final compromise. “This could be perhaps a date to vote,” Bernd Lange, the chair of the committee, told POLITICO, referring to the Feb. 23-24 meeting. Lange added that outstanding issues — including whether to schedule a vote on the deal at all — will be discussed at a meeting of lead negotiators scheduled for Wednesday next week. “The question of safeguard[s] is an important one and will …

This was the moment EU leaders agreed Europe must go it alone

This was the moment EU leaders agreed Europe must go it alone

Published by Sam Flores

BRUSSELS ― There’s no turning back now. That was the message from European leaders who gathered in Brussels on Thursday. And even though this emergency summit, called in response to Donald Trump’s threats to seize Greenland, turned into something far less dramatic because the U.S. president backed down 24 hours earlier, the quiet realization that Europe’s post-1945 rubicon had been crossed was, if anything, all the more striking for it. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the EU’s two most powerful leaders, who haven’t seen eye-to-eye of late, were united in warning that the transatlantic crisis had catapulted the bloc into a harsh new reality — one in which it must embrace independence. “We know we have to work as an independent Europe,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters at the end of the five-hour gathering. And while, in contrast to recent EU summits, there was no tub-thumping or quarrels or even any decisions to be made, the gathering quietly signaled a tacit understanding, according to four EU diplomats …

EU thinks its unity stopped Trump in his tracks – POLITICO

EU thinks its unity stopped Trump in his tracks – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Brussels exhaled on Wednesday after Trump announced he was backing away from threats of imposing tariffs on countries that sent troops to Greenland, touting a “framework” agreement struck with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte for resolving the crisis. While the fine print of that deal — including whether it respects Denmark’s demand to retain full sovereignty of the island — isn’t yet clear, the situation showed the EU can be effective when it advances in lockstep, shows its ability to strike back and is willing to take clear steps like sending troops to reinforce Arctic security in the Danish-held territory, according to two EU diplomats and two senior EU officials. They spoke to POLITICO having been granted anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions. “The fact that after those threats were made the EU coordinated very quickly, and reacted very quickly, reacted in a firm and calm way, with principled positions that were clear — this is certainly something that must be taken into account in terms of the reaction that followed,” said a …

Macron’s sunglasses dazzle Davos and give Europe a meme for the moment – POLITICO

Macron’s sunglasses dazzle Davos and give Europe a meme for the moment – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Europeans have forever been on the back foot when it comes to dealing with Trump, projecting indecisiveness, weakness and division. With European momentum growing in favor of confronting Trump, are Macron and his blue-tinted shades the symbol of European coolness and sophistication they need to combat the brash MAGA world? The French president himself has enthusiastically leaned into the underdog motif. Speaking to a gathering of French CEOs on Tuesday evening, he echoed a refrain from his speech to the French military, to channel their inner “Eye of the Tiger” mojo. “That’s why I’m wearing these glasses,” he said. “Don’t give up, don’t give up, don’t give up” in the face of uncertainties and challenges, he hammered. “We’re going back to bootcamp. It’s Rocky III,” he said. The CEOs cheered. Standing up to superpowers is a quintessentially French role, reaching back to Charles de Gaulle and beyond. France is a country where school children are brought up reading about Asterix and Obelix, the story of embattled Gauls fighting against the Roman Empire. Source link

The 5 Europeans deciding how to handle Trump – POLITICO

The 5 Europeans deciding how to handle Trump – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The Litmus Test: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on “Porta A Porta” TV show, Jan. 21, 2026. | Antonio Masiello/Getty Images All eyes are on Meloni, who has simultaneously carved out a special relationship with Trump while also playing a key role in the development of the EU’s foreign affairs policy as part of an elite group of big economies. When she joins forces with those who want to be more assertive, it’s a significant sign that Trump has probably gone too far. Meloni spoke to the president over the weekend by telephone. “Our goal is not to fight with the Americans,” her foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, told POLITICO after the call, arguing a “win-win” solution could be found. While Meloni is often reluctant to sacrifice her communications channel with the White House, there’s an expectation she will ultimately side with her fellow Europeans. “Meloni understands. She is serious,” a second senior diplomat said, arguing that if her line to Trump fails to produce results, there’s little point continuing to …

EU concedes Trump is not on its side – POLITICO

EU concedes Trump is not on its side – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Limited relief Trump’s speech at Davos, during which he called Denmark’s self-governing island “our territory,” did nothing to dial down the temperature 24 hours before the leaders’ hastily arranged gathering in the Belgian capital to discuss their next response to the disintegrating postwar order. While Trump ruled out the use of military force to seize Greenland, EU governments didn’t regard this as a climbdown because of the harshness of his language about Europe in general and clear confirmation of his intentions, according to two EU diplomats. Trump did eventually walk back his threat of issuing tariffs on the eight European countries which he considered to be standing in his way on Greenland, but by that point, things were already too far gone. “Our American Dream is dead,” said an EU diplomat from a country that has been among the bloc’s transatlantic champions. “Donald Trump murdered it.” | Mandel Ngan/Getty Images “After the back and forth of the last few days, we should now wait and see what substantive agreements are reached between [NATO Secretary-General] Mr. …

EU ‘skeptical’ after Trump’s Greenland tariff threat reversal – POLITICO

EU ‘skeptical’ after Trump’s Greenland tariff threat reversal – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“After the back and forth of the last few days, we should now wait and see what substantive agreements are reached between Mr. Rutte and Mr. Trump,” Klingbeil told German broadcaster ZDF. “No matter what solution is now found for Greenland, everyone must understand that we cannot sit back, relax, and be satisfied.” An EU official directly involved in the negotiations in recent days said “I would be skeptical about calling this fantastic news. We cannot live our lives or govern our countries based on social media posts.” EU leaders are set to meet Thursday evening to discuss Europe’s response to the U.S. president’s recent escalation over Greenland. That summit is still going ahead. “A lot has happened since the start of the year, it’s a good idea for these leaders to sit together and discuss the [volatile] world we live in,” the EU official said. Regardless of Trump’s reversal on his trade threats and the apparent Greenland deal, the U.S. president’s speech in Davos “will give food for thought in most if not all …

This is what the EU’s trade bazooka was meant for – POLITICO

This is what the EU’s trade bazooka was meant for – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The fact of the matter is, if the EU sidesteps the ACI and genuflects, Trump will feel encouraged to be even more disrespectful toward Europe than he already is; the EU will lose all credibility as a moderate but forceful player in a world of autocrats; and European citizens will be even more disillusioned with European institutions unwilling to protect them and their dignity. It could also make them more likely to seek protection from nationalist parties and governments — those that may well be against triggering the ACI in the first place, devout as they are to Trump’s hostility toward the EU. Many in Europe are, indeed, adopting an attitude of subordinate acceptance when it comes to Trump’s wishes, either because of ideological affinities or because they feel more comfortable being close to those in power — as political theorist Etienne de La Boétie stated in the 16th century, servitude is generally based on the “voluntary” acceptance of domination. Then there are those who are ready to align with Trump invoking Realpolitik — a …

EU moves closer to using its trade bazooka against the US

EU moves closer to using its trade bazooka against the US

Published by Sam Flores

BRUSSELS — EU leaders have toughened their position and want the European Commission to ready its most powerful trade weapon against the U.S. if Donald Trump doesn’t walk back his Greenland threats. Germany has joined France in saying it will ask the Commission to explore unleashing the Anti-Coercion Instrument at the emergency EU leaders’ summit in Brussels on Thursday evening, according to five diplomats with knowledge of the situation. Berlin’s move brings the EU closer to a more forceful response, with Trump’s escalating rhetoric about the Danish territory and its supporters having prompted key capitals to harden their stance on how Europe should react. “The resolve has been there for a few days,” said one of the diplomats. “We have felt it in our bilateral talks … there is very broad support that the EU must prepare for all scenarios, and that also includes that all instruments are on the table.” What governments request of the Commission will be decided largely by what the U.S. president says in his address at the World Economic Forum …

Berlin weighs digital tax in response to Trump tariff threats – POLITICO

Berlin weighs digital tax in response to Trump tariff threats – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Government talks have focused on restraint, with officials emphasizing the need to stay calm and avoid emotional reactions. At a press conference Monday, a government spokesperson said Merz was “a rational person who does not put a stamp on international relations.” Merz, who leads the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has argued for a measured response. Yet Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, a Social Democrat, has left the door open to tougher options. “We should now examine the use of these measures,” he said, referring to the EU’s trade defense toolbox, including the Anti-Coercion Instrument — the bloc’s untested trade bazooka — that could be used to target services such as tech. While Merz remains reserved, senior lawmakers from within his Christian Democrat camp are openly advocating retaliation aimed at U.S. tech firms. Sepp Müller, the deputy parliamentary leader of the CSU and its Bavarian sister party, called on Monday for a digital tax and even import bans on U.S. products. “The issue will certainly come onto the table,” Ralph Brinkhaus, the conservative group’s digital policy spokesperson, …