According to Observer Network , Italian media disclosed that European Council President Michel pointed out in an interview with the media that after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the United States and Europe have strengthened their ties in the security field, but this is not the case in the economic field. As an energy exporter, the United States made a lot of profits by exporting oil and gas during the crisis, but Europe faced the energy crisis, , economic recession and industrial competition in the United States.
Michel said he would not describe the United States as "betrayal", but the United States should indeed change the inappropriate practices in the "Inflation Reduction Act", and European countries should also give up their naive ideas. Even if the Biden administration replaces the Trump administration and comes to power, the United States still pursues "America first". The chairman of the European Parliament's International Trade Commission also made a recommendation that Europe should not have any illusions about negotiating with the United States to resolve trade differences, and that Europe should file a lawsuit against the illegal subsidies of the United States in the WTO within months.
Michel
In addition, EU Commission Chairman von der Leyen also suggested that the EU's "state subsidy" process should be simplified and respond to the United States in a non-trade war manner. These statements by senior EU officials show the tougher side of the EU's "intentional response" to the United States. In addition, French President Macron also directly criticized the US for violating WTO rules during his recent visit to the United States for being too aggressive, which will cause a large number of industrial jobs in Europe. As an economic consortium that cannot be ignored, EU countries can speak out in one way, which will form a momentum that the United States cannot ignore, and the US-EU trade dispute may turn around. Unfortunately, in addition to the differences between major EU economies such as France, Germany and the Netherlands on the issue of natural gas price limit, there are many differences even within Germany, the core EU countries.
German Chancellor Scholz had previously warned the United States that illegal subsidies would trigger a huge risk of tariff war between the United States and Europe. The implication of this is clearly warning the United States not to do too much, otherwise Germany will not hesitate to respond to the United States through tariff wars. Recently, the German Finance Minister claimed that given that the United States, as Germany's value partner and the economic and trade ties between the United States and Germany, the resolution of the US-European trade dispute should be carried out through diplomatic means.
von der Leyen
The United States and Europe are in a critical period of "a narrow road" meeting. The German Finance Minister's compromise remarks against the United States undoubtedly make it easier for the EU to "leak". On the other hand, it was rare to make a tough statement to the United States not long ago, German Economy Minister Habek, who pointed out that Germany would prepare for a trade war with the United States, turned around and started manipulating the disaster to China. Media revealed that the German Ministry of Economic Affairs led by Habeck is preparing to issue a 104-page "strategic document" to curb Chinese investment in Germany and restrict German investment in China, and requires companies in Germany to submit regular review reports. Another German Green Party politician, , Bellbeck, was previously revealed to have manipulated a similar document, with the purpose of driving German business to decouple from China. The actions of two German Green Party politicians, Habeck and Bellbock, are obviously putting Germany and the EU in a dilemma. Against the background of
, there is reason to suspect that Habeck's previous "preparation for a trade war with the United States" was a flickering shot in the case of German public opinion, and it has not changed the mindset that promotes Germany's decoupling from China, the largest trading partner.
The various voices of politicians in Europe and Germany clearly outline the image of a European politician group with disagreement or even contradictory views amidst the changes in Europe. Such a politician group cannot defend the legitimate rights and interests of its own companies in the face of the United States that only recognizes its strength. This is not because the EU's economic strength is not strong. As the world's largest economic consortium at present, the EU still has the world's leading economic strength. However, when facing external pressure from the United States, if EU countries and major politicians cannot be united, they will be divided and defeated one by one. The current European politicians have not shown the unity corresponding to the positive response of the United States.In Germany, where the three parties are in power, the dispute over the Green Party leaders of Green Party politicians Habeck and Bellbock; the dispute over the governance direction between the German Chancellor's Office and various German departments are all worsening the confidence that Germany can say no to the United States. If Habeck and others are allowed to deteriorate relations with China, Germany will even lose the qualification to sit on the negotiating table with the United States.
A scattered and chaotic EU is presenting a kind of confusion in the face of US power. This "confusion" and division are likely to be fatal.
