The EU is torn apart by the trade war with Trump: Germany prioritizes a quick deal, while France prioritizes a balanced one.

BrusselsEuropean unity is cracking at times in the trade conflict with the United StatesThe end of the partial truce established by the White House on July 9 is approaching, and tensions between member states are increasing, especially within the Franco-German coalition. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants to save his country's automotive industry and has urged Brussels to urgently close a trade agreement with Washington, even if it is not the one desired by the European Union.

The German leader has even attacked the European Commission, led by fellow German conservative Ursula von der Leyen, and called the EU's negotiating strategy "too complicated." Merz is in a hurry and asserts that, in times like these, he must act "quickly and simply." "We have two weeks, and we cannot close a sophisticated trade agreement," the German Chancellor argued in statements to the press at Thursday's European summit in Brussels.

Germany is a major exporter to the US, and its priority is to have the tariffs lifted as soon as possible, even at the cost of a less positive trade agreement for the EU. Merz said that the "very high" US tariffs currently levied on European companies "are really putting them at risk," especially in the automotive, chemical, and steel sectors. Currently, Washington has increased customs duties on all products it imports from the EU by 10%, by 50% on aluminum and steel components, and by 25% on cars manufactured in EU countries.

Emmanuel Macron, however, has put a stop to this and advocated for a balanced agreement. Although he has expressed openness to accepting the US imposition of general tariffs of 10%, as currently in force, he has stressed that the same level of customs duties should be applied to US products arriving in the EU. "The rate must be the same. [...] We must use all the tools at our disposal to achieve a fair agreement," Macron also insisted at the European summit in the Belgian capital.

"We are ready for an agreement."

Although the division between the two main EU member states is evident, Von der Leyen assured in a press conference that the EU partners are "prepared to reach an agreement" with the Trump administration. She also explained that, at this summit, she presented the latest proposal from the White House and, in fact, two days ago both sides intensified their contacts to end the trade war.

Along the same lines, the President of the European Council, António Costa, stated that "an agreement is always better than a conflict and that no tariff is always better than a tariff." "Uncertainty is the worst thing for our economy, and we must provide certainty as soon as possible," the Portuguese leader urged, who also wanted to make public his "complete confidence in the European Commission's ability to lead the negotiations."

The one who doesn't trust Von der Leyen and her government as much is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the pro-Trump far-right leader. "The problem is that the American negotiators are heavyweights, and the European Union has limited negotiating capacity," the leader said.