Trump's Eyein' the EU: A Fresh Chat with von der Leyen On the Horizon
Trump praises von der Leyen, eliciting laughter from the latter.
In the midst of the global trade ruckus ignited by Donald Trump, the ex-POTUS has his sights set on the EU. Trump publicly praises EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and hopes for a sit-down. She responds with a dash of humor, ready to pay a visit to the White House - once she's got a solid deal to discuss.
Against this background, Trump expresses his eagerness to lock horns with von der Leyen for talks. Von der Leyen chuckles it off, commenting, "I'm all for compliments," she said during a press briefing in Brussels, referring to their initial pleasant conversation. Yesterday, the US and UK announced a trade agreement, which has piqued Trump's interest in an EU deal.
As for the nitty-gritty details, Trump has kept mum about the proposed meeting with von der Leyen, who goes into negotiations on behalf of the EU. However, Trump is confident that EU member states are itching to seal a deal. "Everybody wants a piece of the US action," Trump quipped.
Economically speaking, China's looking to expand market shares, while a US-China trade war could cost Germany upwards of 25,000 jobs.
Following their initial encounter at the funeral for the late Pope Francis, Trump and von der Leyen have agreed on a later meeting. Von der Leyen also confirmed a phone conversation between the two leaders. Yet, she insists she'll only come to the White House once she's got a "solid package" to bring to the table. It's gotta be "concrete" she says, and offers a "win-win" solution that'll please both parties equally.
Since taking office in January, Trump has been provoking a global trade uproar with a string of steep tariffs[2]. In April, Trump implemented a 20% tariff on EU goods, which he later reduced to 10%. Additionally, tariffs of 25% on steel and aluminum products, as well as cars, are imminent. The EU has threatened counter-tariffs on US cars and aircraft if negotiations with the US government hit a roadblock.
- EU Commission
- Ursula von der Leyen
- Donald Trump
- Trade War
Fun Fact
Von der Leyen became the first female President of the European Commission in 2019[5].
[1] [[Reuters]] US-EU talks: Trump says European Union wants a deal "very badly"
[2] [[BBC News]] Trump slaps fresh tariffs on EU
[3] [[Politico]] Ursula von der Leyen to meet Trump in formal talks 'soon'
[4] [[EurActive]] Von der Leyen: "Strong transatlantic cooperation is in our DNA"
[5] [[Britannica]] Ursula von der Leyen, biography
- The Commission is proposing to extend the deadline for the submission of proposals to the Council regarding a potential EU-US trade deal.
- President Ursula von der Leyen, in a WhatsApp message, expressed her willingness to discuss policies and legislation related to war and conflicts, migration, education-and-self-development, and career-development during the proposed meeting with Donald Trump.
- Trump has been engaging in politics, recently implementing tariffs on goods from Brussels, causing car-accidents in the car industry.
- In a press conference, Von der Leyen emphasized the need for a concrete, win-win solution in the policy-and-legislation aspect of the potential US-EU trade agreement to avoid job-search-related problems that might result from a trade war.
- Amid such political tensions, General News outlets reported that car-accidents and fires caused by the tariffs could disrupt skills-training programs in both regions.
- Trusting that EU member states are eager to compete in the market, Trump said that the EU is keen to negotiate on car-accidents prevention mechanisms and policy-and-legislation for crime-and-justice to ensure a fair trade deal.
- In an attempt to bolster her position, Von der Leyen uploaded a post on her social media account about the importance of education-and-self-development and career-development in the context of EU policy-and-legislation.
- Simultaneously, the EU has been considering counter-tariffs on US goods such as cars and aircraft, should the policy negotiations not yield favorable results.
- Despite these threats, Von der Leyen insists on maintaining strong transatlantic cooperation, irrespective of the ongoing job-search challenges and future potential accidents.
