French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has openly rejected the US-EU trade agreement sealed over the weekend, describing it as a humiliating “submission” to American demands.
Speaking on Monday via his official X account, Bayrou said, “It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, united to affirm their values and defend their interests, resorts to submission.” This came just hours after the United States and European Union reached a new tariff arrangement that sets a baseline of 15% on EU exports to the US.
France rejects US-EU trade deal as unfair
The agreement, reached between US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has drawn sharp condemnation across France’s political landscape. French officials from across the spectrum say the US-EU trade deal sacrifices the European economy just to avoid a potential trade war.
While stock markets across Europe and Asia reacted positively, French leaders insisted the deal is a bad move for Europe’s sovereignty.
Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right National Rally party, wrote, “Ursula von der Leyen accepted yesterday the commercial surrender of Europe, to the detriment of our exporters, farmers, and industrialists.”
His party colleague, Marine Le Pen, also criticised the agreement, calling it “a political, economic, and moral fiasco.”
French lawmakers say Europe surrendered
Pieyre-Alexandre Anglade, a key ally of President Emmanuel Macron and chairman of the National Assembly’s European Affairs Committee, said, “This is a defeat for the European Commission, which failed to create the power dynamics needed properly to defend European interests.” He called the agreement a “signal of weakness” and urged Europe to “fight to reverse the situation.”
Philippe Latombe, another French MP aligned with Bayrou, said he “deeply regrets” the deal, calling it “culpable subservience, a mortgage on our future, and the sacrifice of entire sectors of our sovereignty. It’s a bad deal, except for Trump.”
France accuses EU of trading away sovereignty
The Socialist Party also rejected the trade deal, warning that the EU was being treated like a “vassal” of the United States. Meanwhile, far-left France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon accused European leaders of choosing “non-submission to the (US) Empire and non-alignment.”
As public pressure mounts, the French government said it will meet with major economic players to evaluate the consequences of the US-EU trade agreement. The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, will involve Finance Minister Eric Lombard and Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
France rejects US-EU trade deal over fears of submission
France has clearly rejected the US-EU trade deal, with leaders across all parties warning it hands too much control to Washington. For Prime Minister Bayrou and many others, the agreement represents more than just tariffs—it symbolizes the loss of European independence. While other countries may view the deal as a success, France sees it as a dangerous path of economic submission.
