Macron and Scholz call for a united Europe amid Trump’s tariff threats

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met on Wednesday in Paris, where they emphasised Europe’s strength and unity in the face of tarriff threats from US President Donald Trump.

During a joint press conference before their working lunch at the Elysee Palace, Macron said it was a critical moment for France and Germany to take a leading role and ensure that Europe was capable of defending its interests while maintaining transatlantic ties.

“Now that the new administration has taken office in the United States, it is more important than ever for Europeans, and therefore for our two countries, to play their full part in consolidating a united, strong, and sovereign Europe,” Macron said.

Scholz echoed Macron’s words, acknowledging that the Trump presidency would pose challenges but reaffirming the longstanding relationship between the EU and the US.

“This very week, we are dealing with a new US administration. It is already clear that President Trump will be a challenge,” he said.

“Our position is clear. Europe is a large economic area with around 450 million citizens. We are strong. We stand together. Europe will not duck and hide,” Scholz added.

Trump said on Tuesday that he would impose tariffs on the EU due to trade surpluses with the US, saying that bloc was “very, very bad to us”. He also threatened Canada, Mexico and China with heavy duties starting from February.

Macron and Scholz discussed the steel, automobile and chemical industries — all of which could be hit by US tariffs — and said they were vital for the EU’s economy.

Germany’s chancellor also emphasised the need for increased European cooperation on defence, citing Franco-German initiatives to develop longer-range precision weapons.

Meanwhile, France’s president said Europe needed to increase spending on its defence and also “develop its own industrial base, its own capacities, its own industry”.

Earlier this month, Trump called for NATO’s 32 member states to spend 5% of their GDP on defence, up from the existing target of 2%, and said European allies were falling short.

Aside from the Trump administration, trade and tariff threats, Macron and Scholz also discussed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza.

Scholz and Macron are both in precarious positions in their respective countries. The former is polling badly ahead of the German election set for 23 February, while the latter was weakened by snap elections last year that resulted in a divided French parliament.

Additional sources • AP