European People’s Party (EPP) leader Manfred Weber has identified trade policy as the most effective tool for countering the influence of Donald Trump. Speaking to Politico, Weber emphasized the importance of agreements like the Mercosur deal stating, “The best anti-Trump agreement is Mercosur.
Weber underscored the need for Europe to demonstrate its capacity for successful trade relationships beyond the United States, asserting, “Whoever is not satisfied with Trump must now show America that we can do good business with others, not just with you”. He also cautioned against a passive approach, urging Europe to take responsibility for its future, stating, “We are practically being pushed into this cold world, this icy world and we have to do our homework. That’s why I think it’s clear: Europe must finally grow up in today’s world.
A prominent advocate for a European army, Weber considers it a “necessary alternative” in the long term. He called for the end of “national tinkering” advocating for a “European defense architecture that, like the euro, cannot be reversed.
Furthermore, Weber defended Ursula von der Leyen’s trade agreement with US President Donald Trump, despite resistance within the European Parliament. He stated that the EPP sees “no alternative” to the agreement, even if it is painful and dismissed considerations of a trade war with the United States.
