Emmanuel Macron calls EU to ‘defend European interests’ from Donald Trump’s tariffs

Emmanuel Macron has called on the European Union to defend "European interests" after Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs of up to 30% on goods imported from Europe.

The French president warned that the bloc must prepare for a possible trade war with Washington, as the former U.S. president initially considered a 10% tariff before raising the proposed rate.

“It is more than ever up to the Commission to assert the Union’s determination to defend European interests resolutely. In particular, this implies accelerating the preparation of credible countermeasures, by mobilising all the instruments at its disposal, including anti-coercion, if no agreement is reached by 1 August,” Macron wrote on social media.

While Macron pushes for a firm response, other EU countries — including Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland — have called for calm, seeking to avoid escalating tensions.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who maintains a good relationship with Trump, said she believes a “fair deal” can be reached, adding that starting a trade war would “make no sense.”

(QG - Source: The Guardian - Picture : © Picture Alliance/ dpa/MAXPPP / Thomas Padilla)