(Strasbourg) “We have everything we need to protect our people and our prosperity”, “we will protect our interests, our people, and our companies”: this was stated by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, who is in Strasbourg today for the plenary session of the European Parliament. Words focussed on the US tariffs that, as Von der Leyen pointed out, “have not been wanted by Europe”.

Trump is unleashing a trade war against Europe and many other countries across the world. “Many Europeans feel completely disheartened by the US announcements. Let me make myself clear: Europe has not started this confrontation”. Then, she added: “We think it is wrong”. So, the EU must take countermeasures along three lines, based, as President Von der Leyen says, on “three pillars: we are open to negotiations” because “our objective is a negotiated solution”; “we will keep differentiating our trade with other partners” (at present, the EU has trade agreements in place with 76 countries, and now it is aiming to include India, South-Africa, Indonesia, Thailand too); in addition, “we will double our efforts to strengthen the single market”.