With its woeful trade deal, Europe prostrated itself before the president. We need a leader who will tell him where to shove it, says Guardian Europe columnist Alexander Hurst
This is overlooking an important point: German national politics and the direct connection the EU commission has to it.
Ursula von der Leyen, while not a strong party ally of Friedrich Merz, is still trying to prop up the incredibly weak current coalition, as the alternative would be significantly worse.
The US tarriffs hit the German export industry especially hard, while the rest of Europe is relatively unaffected by them. With the German car industry already struggling (slept on electric and China isn’t buying anymore), a 30% tarriff would effectively force them to downsize significantly and likely merge or kill off one of the big three entirely. This would be a huge political deal in Germany and likely kill the current coalition.
but the Visegrad countries’ economic boom since they became part of the EU market is based on the outsourced pre-production (Zulieferer) for the german car industry.
and also others should fear a germany in economic trouble, aks the peoples of Italy, Greece and gentrified Portugal!
This is overlooking an important point: German national politics and the direct connection the EU commission has to it.
Ursula von der Leyen, while not a strong party ally of Friedrich Merz, is still trying to prop up the incredibly weak current coalition, as the alternative would be significantly worse.
The US tarriffs hit the German export industry especially hard, while the rest of Europe is relatively unaffected by them. With the German car industry already struggling (slept on electric and China isn’t buying anymore), a 30% tarriff would effectively force them to downsize significantly and likely merge or kill off one of the big three entirely. This would be a huge political deal in Germany and likely kill the current coalition.
In typical fashion they’re trying to put a bandaid on a rotten limb. By trying to delay the inevitable crisis they are ensuring it will hit us worse.
but the Visegrad countries’ economic boom since they became part of the EU market is based on the outsourced pre-production (Zulieferer) for the german car industry.
and also others should fear a germany in economic trouble, aks the peoples of Italy, Greece and gentrified Portugal!