The announcement of a customs agreement between Donald Trump and Ursula von der Leyen caused a storm in French politics. For some, this confirms the collapse of European sovereignty, for others – proof that Brussels has stopped defending the interests of its citizens.
Among the strongest voices was Marine Le Pen, who did not leave a dry thread on the EU agreement. Speaking on behalf of the National Unity, she stressed that the guilty must not be confused –
"in this case, von der Leyen one more time proved her inability to defend European interests."
The French right-wing leader called the agreement
"political, economical and moral failure",
arguing that specified an agreement would never be signed by a government that actually puts national welfare above agreements.
"The Commission has accepted asymmetrical clauses that France, governed by patriotic power, would never accept. all year we will gotta import hundreds of billions of euros in gas and weapons from the US."
She thinks it's clear.
"capitalisation of French industry, as well as our energy and military sovereignty."
Even more breathtaking is the passage of the agreement, which, according to Le Pen, straight favours German manufacture at the expense of France's interests. In exchange for reducing duties on German cars, France will gotta open its marketplace to American agricultural products, which will hit native farmers. In Le Pen's opinion, it's a betrayal of national interests:
"The European Union has opened dams for American goods, forcing France to bear costs."
For the erstwhile president of the National Unity, this is another example of how EU structures distort the concept of sovereignty. She recalled that even Britain, acting alone, managed to negociate better conditions:
"The European Union of 27 countries has achieved worse conditions than the United Kingdom. Commercial sovereignty does not add up: it is blurry, or – as in this case – completely disappears under the burden of Brussels bureaucracy.”
Strong opposition to the agreement besides flows from the left side of the political scene. Jean-Luc Mélenchon and his France organization The Non-Nouns agreed with Le Pen's main assessment.
“We gave everything to Trump,” they said.
The Socialists called it in turn
“the vassal system.”
At this point, the right and left talk with 1 voice: EU leadership has sold European interests in exchange for illusory benefits.
However, left-wing media and any politicians simultaneously effort to point out Le Pen's alleged hypocrisy. They remind her of earlier statements in which she expressed her enthusiasm for Donald Trump's re-election. Aurore Lalucq MEP commented on the X platform:
"It's like a pot pointing at the kettle blackness,"
calling for Le Pen
“She kept a low profile.”
Former Minister Macrona, Clément Beaune, presently advanced Planning Commissioner, said in an interview with France Info:
“Mr. Zemmour, Mrs. Le Pen and Mr. Bardella set Trump as a model – so they have no right to complain today.”
There were quite a few voices online that reminded me that Trump wasn't the problem. lawyer and essayist Ghislain Benhassa wrote:
"The problem is not Trump, but the suicide alliance von der Leyen – Macron."
Trump, according to Benhassy, does what he should do – defends US interests. It was von der Leyen who was to uphold the interests of Europeans and she was liable for signing the unfavourable agreement.
Marine Le Pen responded to these allegations in a typical way – without beating the crap out of her:
“The fool is not 1 who offers an highly one-sided deal for his own benefit, but 1 who accepts it to the detriment of himself!”
For her, it is not Donald Trump himself, but the deficiency of leadership in the European Union. Her words hit a good feeling of betrayal, which is increasing among many French people who watch Brussels increasingly interfere in their regular lives – from agricultural regulation to energy policy.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time that Le Pen criticizes von der Leyen for actions contrary to national interest. She had previously accused her of acting more as a German politician than a European official. This time, however, the issue concerns fundamental issues: energy security, agriculture, the arms manufacture and global trade. For many observers, it is simply a breakthrough – a signal that the European integration model, which was based on trade-offs between nations, has turned into a unilateral imposition of decisions by the Brussels camera.
The shadow of this agreement besides raises a deeper question about the future of the European Union. Is this a community of equal states, or is it a tool for the interests of the most powerful players? If Le Pen is right – and there are many indications that he is not speaking in vain – then today's customs agreement may not only be a political mistake, but besides the beginning of a deeper Union legitimacy crisis in the eyes of societies. Especially in France, where Eurosceptic sentiments are getting stronger and anger towards the elites from Brussels and Paris is getting more common.
What happened on 29 July can be remembered as a minute erstwhile the French public understood that it was not adequate to be a associate of the Union to be a beneficiary of it. Sometimes being a associate means just paying the bills others have issued. And for Marine Le Pen, that is the reason to ask a question that has been in the air for years: who truly rules Europe – nations or officials?
