Yesterday in Scotland The meeting-duel between Donald Trump And Ursula von Der leyen To definitively sign the agreement between the USA and the EU on the duties. The economic soap opera ended with a 15% uniform duty on European exports to the United States. Brussels focused on a maximum roof of 10%, but had to give up under the American threat to climb up to 30%. Steel and aluminum remain affected by a 50%duty. Some strategic sectors (aerospace, semiconductors, chemistry) will be exempt. In return, however, the EU undertakes to buy 750 billion dollars in US energy and to invest another 600 billion in the US territory. On the European part, it is therefore difficult not to perceive a certain yield: An agreement that avoids the worst, but at the price of accepting a strongly unbalanced commercial balance.
The result is so clear that it does not leave room for any justification: Ursula von der leyen has failed. And just look at the photo of the handshake, with Donald stretched towards Ursula and she much more perched on a defensive posture, typical of those who know they have closed an agreement that has more the stench of a surrender than a “do ut des”. Clearly to take her all the fault of the genuflection towards the Americans would be naive, just as it would be ridiculous and partisan to accuse Trump for bringing water to his mill. The USA are not (more) a non -profit organization, the Tycoon has reiterated it several times and is demonstrating it, with the sound of duties and to the sound of a large voice on NATO.
The road of victimism is an attractive hypothesis to be followed, but it would be only a conviction: if it is of primary importance to maintain a priority bond with the USA, thus guaranteeing the firm alliance of the free world, it is now equally evident that The European Union must move quickly in the development of assets that can protect its negotiating position.
If Trump is hated by a discreet part of the Europeans because it is very much rude And folklore (And also because Obama’s years convinced that politics only does with false smiles), it must be made to have the merit of having brought home very useful agreements for his nation. On the other hand, if Von der Leyen is loved (less and less people) it is perhaps because he faithfully embodies all the ideological smoke and phosphorescent inconsistency that Europe has now become. A continent that thinks of the caps attached the bottles while the rest of the world battle on the development of the AI.
Behind any alleged success of the facade that European institutions bring home are almost always hidden A moved biblical proportions for citizens of the continent. It happens internationally and also happens as regards internal policies: from the very expensive Green transition To the bureaucracy that is seen by public opinion as a wheelchair with beneficial doubt.
Yesterday’s agreement is a very simple demonstration of a principle behind geopolitics and diplomacy: the contracts writes those who are strong; Who is weaker or signed or … signature. And this Europe, despite the megalomania of its protagonists, is really little stuff. Urgently wake up.
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