"Shame," "fiasco," "capitulation": in France, opposition groups denounce the agreement on American customs duties

In the wake of the announced agreement on customs duties between the United States and the European Union , opposition to Emmanuel Macron has drawn on military lexicon, speaking of "vassalization" or "surrender." On the left, the national coordinator of La France insoumise, Manuel Bompard, deplores a "shame" when his boss, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, speaks of the United States, as he regularly does, as an imperial force: "Everything has been ceded to Trump with the right to change the rules of the game established over seventy-five years of bilateral relations [...]. The choice of insubordination to the Empire and non-alignment are the only available alternative," he denounced on his X account.

The chairman (LFI) of the National Assembly's Finance Committee, Eric Coquerel, expressed alarm at the prospect of a "catastrophe for Europe" and in particular for France , "whose economy is not primarily based on foreign trade." Another rebellious reaction came from MEP Anthony Smith, who described the trade agreement as a "capitulation."

While they are angry with the rebels, François Ruffin and the first secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, also speak of their "shame" after the announcement of this agreement, which they consider unbalanced. "Customs duties, energy, diplomacy, etc. Europe is bowing down to the United States," the former criticizes. For the latter, it is proof that "Europeans prioritize their national interests over any European logic."

To Prime Minister François Bayrou, who described in the morning as "a dark day [...] the one where an alliance of free peoples, gathered to affirm their values and defend their interests, resolves to submit" , the socialist responded sharply: "There are tweets that sound like admissions of impotence. A French Prime Minister does not just whine about X. He takes positions, defends our interests and organizes the confrontation with Ursula von der Leyen within the European Union."

Still on the Socialist side, MEP Pierre Jouvet denounced "a vassalization agreement," comparing the EU to a "Trump puppet" and accusing Ursula von der Leyen of having "sacrificed our jobs, our production, and the environment." MEP Benjamin Lucas (Génération·s) argued that "it is the dignity of the European peoples that is at stake" and called for a vote by the European Parliament and the National Assembly. This desire is shared by the Communists through Paris Senator Fabien Gay. His leader, Fabien Roussel, is outright calling for this agreement to be put to a referendum, arguing that Donald Trump is "torpedoing Europe" and that "the European Commission says yes."

The far right's tone was the same. The president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, denounced "Europe's trade surrender, to the detriment of our exporters, farmers, and manufacturers" and called on Emmanuel Macron and his government to "show a surge of national pride by firmly opposing it as it stands, in the name of French interests." Marine Le Pen pointed to a "political, economic, and moral fiasco" and lamented "a capitulation in the open for French industry, and for our energy and military sovereignty."

Finally, for his part, Dominique de Villepin saw this July 27 as "the Day of the Declaration of European Dependence" and denounced "an unequal treaty" , a "one-way investment agreement" and a "forced sale of 750 billion dollars of energy" . The former Prime Minister, who no longer hides his presidential ambition and recently founded his party, La France humaniste, warns: "It is illusory to believe that Donald Trump will stop his demands there in the face of a Europe whose sovereignty he despises."