Dirk Wiese, the parliamentary manager of the SPD’s Bundestag group, has called for a pause in the ratification process of the proposed trade agreement following new tariff announcements by U.S. President Donald Trump. “Given the current situation and the ruling, we must now suspend the ratification process” Wiese told Politico. He described conditions of “uncertainty” and “ambiguities” arguing that a break is necessary.
Wiese sharply criticized Trump’s recent moves. While he acknowledged that the rule of law still operates in the United States, he pointed out that Trump had “immediately announced new tariffs of 15 percent based on a different legal basis for only 150 days”. This, he said, illustrates the unpredictable nature of U.S. policy. Wiese urged Europe to stand up firm, “show our chest” and “display our teeth”.
He also suggested that the European Anti‑Coercion Act, originally adopted to counter China, might be considered against the United States. “We have an act that we enacted in the direction of China” he said. “We couldn’t have imagined using it a few months ago, but now every instrument must be brought to the table”.
Regarding Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s upcoming trip to Washington, Wiese said the Chancellor would “make it very clear” that this type of politics is unacceptable. He emphasized that the European Union, with its 450 million residents, must act confidently as a single internal market.
Wiese’s view on a general “de‑risking” of ties with the U.S. is nuanced. He still sees “very, very trustworthy cooperation with many states” urging that we “not talk solely with Washington”. At the same time, he sees a need for reforms inside Europe. The Draghi report, he noted, provides “very, very good guidance” particularly for completing the capital‑markets union.
