Prime Minister François Bayrou Thursday July 31 in Montreuil, in Seine-Saint-Denis (AFP / Thibaud Moritz)
Prime Minister François Bayrou said Thursday that France had been “a little alone” in the commercial battle against the United States, on the sidelines of a trip to the premises of Tracfin, a body to combat financial crime, in Montreuil (93).
The head of government, who had strongly criticized the commercial agreement between the European Union and the United States on Monday, deploring a “submission” from Europe, said it was “not the end of history”, and that it was necessary “a process that was not yet completely elucidated to ratification” of this agreement.
“There is to verify what is the exact scope of these agreements, and states will have their say in one way or another,” he added.
“I know that all the French authorities, and in particular the President of the Republic (Emmanuel Macron), were those who fought the most against concessions that was considered excessive,” he said before wondering: “Were we a little alone? Yes”.
“Do you have the feeling that inside the European Union, political and economic forces were rather on a line to find accommodations? Yes”, he added, believing that from his point of view, “the way for Europe is a path of affirmation and resistance when it is necessary and pride as often as possible”.
The French political class was unanimous in denouncing the agreement concluded between the American president, Donald Trump, and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who notably provides for a 15% increase in customs duties on European exports.
President Emmanuel Macron deplored on Wednesday in the Council of Ministers that the European Union was not “fear” enough in its commercial negotiations with the United States, saying that France would continue to show “requirement and firmness” in the rest of the discussions.