Macron Says EU Was ‘Not Feared Enough’ In EU-US Trade Deal Talks

 July 31, 2025 

By EurActiv

By Elisa Braun

(EurActiv) — French President Emmanuel Macron sharply criticised the newly signed EU-US trade deal on Wednesday, telling ministers the European Union had not “been feared enough” during negotiations.

“To be free, you have to be feared, and we haven’t been feared enough,” he told the Council of ministers on Wednesday morning, according to two attendees.

The President, who had remained noticeably silent since the deal was signed on Sunday, also regretted that “Europe does not yet see itself sufficiently as a power” and called on the EU to “work tirelessly” to rebalance the relationship with the US.

“France has always maintained a firm and demanding stance. This is not the end of the story, the negotiation has to continue,” the French president also reportedly told ministers.

The spokesperson for the French government, Sophie Primas, later confirmed at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon that Macron welcomed a deal that would give French businesses greater visibility, but stressed that he considered the agreement incomplete and still subject to further negotiation.

The president also reportedly called to “accelerate the European agenda on sovereignty and competitiveness,” a remark widely seen as indirect criticism of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s implementation of her own priorities.

Unusual golf negotiations

Macron’s comments add to a growing chorus of European criticism against the deal and reflect mounting frustration at home. Prime Minister François Bayrou on Monday describedthe deal as a “submission,” while other cabinet members have questioned its content and the process that led to its conclusion.

“We would have preferred that these negotiations take place in an official setting and not in a private golf course in Scotland,” said Primas, describing the location as “unusual.”

In Paris, the government is convening a high-level meeting Wednesday afternoon with seven ministers and representatives of major business federations, reflecting the political heat the deal has stirred domestically.

While Paris has welcomed the Commission’s efforts to secure tariff exemptions for key export sectors such as aerospace, it has also voiced strong concerns over what it views as imbalances in the agreement. As the EU’s leading exporter of wine and spirits, France sees the treatment of these sectors as a growing point of contention.

Business heavyweights like Bernard Arnault, head of luxury conglomerate LVMH, which includes several spirits brands, are urging both the Commission and the French government to secure a clear exemption on spirits and wine, alongside the powerful wine sector.

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