Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al-Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon: Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Blida municipality building two hours after occupying it, and the Lebanese army enters
Pakistani army: 6 soldiers and 7 militants killed in clash near the Afghan border
Israeli media: Sirens sound in the settlement of Kerem Shalom in the Gaza envelope area
Afghan source to Al Mayadeen: We still believe in dialogue and prioritize diplomatic solutions with Pakistan; though we are ready for all possibilities.
Afghan source to Al Mayadeen: Pakistan purposely obstructed negotiations in Turkey by making unrealistic demands.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: More than 70 martyrs in Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn.
Death toll from latest Israeli strikes on Gaza rises to 30
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Five killed in the Israeli bombing of a civilian vehicle on Al-Qassam Street in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip
Hamas confirms that it has no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah and affirms its commitment to the ceasefire agreement
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two civilians were killed and four others, including a child and an infant, were injured in an Israeli bombing of a house belonging to the Al-Banna family in the al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City

France plays bad cop, threatens building EU defenses: Politico

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Politico
  • 18 Oct 2022 16:01
3 Min Read

President Emmanuel Macron accuses Washington of protectionism and threatens to put EU’s defenses up.

  • x
  • US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron. Source: AFP/Thomas COEX
    US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron (AFP)

As France reclaims its usual role as Europe's troublemaker on the transatlantic trade front, US President Joe Biden should beware, Politico reported.

On Biden's watch, it appeared like tensions between Brussels and Washington were thawing. Faced with a common antagonist in China, the EU and the US reached a truce last year on tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump on European steel and aluminum. Russia's military operation in Ukraine has required America and Europe to portray a united front, at least politically, this year.

The EU is enraged that the US is putting money into the domestic electric car industry. Europe, accusing Washington of protectionism, is now threatening to build its own defenses.

Unsurprisingly, French President Emmanuel Macron is leading the charge. “The Americans are buying American and pursuing a very aggressive strategy of state aid. The Chinese are closing their market. We cannot be the only area, the most virtuous in terms of climate, which considers that there is no European preference,” Macron told the French daily Les Echos.

Read next: Russia offers discounts on oil imports, unfazed by EU embargo

Related News

Trump directs Pentagon to begin nuclear weapons testing

Trump: South Korea to build nuclear submarine in Philadelphia shipyard

Increasing the stakes, he urged Brussels to assist consumers and businesses who purchase electric vehicles manufactured in the EU rather than those manufactured outside the bloc. There are good reasons why the Europeans are fretting about their trade balances.

The war has delivered a massive terms-of-trade shock, with skyrocketing oil costs dragging the EU into a massive bloc-wide trade deficit of €65 billion in August, up from barely €7 billion the previous year. One aspect of these tensions is Europe's growing reliance on American liquefied natural gas to replace lost Russian supply.

Macron's remarks reflect EU concern about Washington's Inflation Reduction Act, which encourages US consumers to "Buy American" when choosing a greener car. The EU claims that forcing cars to be assembled in North America and to have a particular amount of local content discriminates against the EU and other trade partners.

Read next: Putin betting EU unity on Ukraine to fracture: EU Borrell

The European Commission aims to convince Washington to find a diplomatic compromise for European carmakers and their suppliers. If it doesn't, it would leave the EU no choice but to challenge Washington at the World Trade Organization, EU officials and diplomats told Politico.

Macron's remarks "are clearly a response to the Inflation Reduction Act," said Elvire Fabry, a trade policy researcher at Paris' Institut Jacques Delors. “Macron plays the role of the bad cop, compared to the European Commission, which left Washington some political room to make adjustments,” she noted. 

Read next: White House to release another 15mln barrels of oil from SPR

  • United States
  • Emmanuel Macron
  • France
  • Joe Biden

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Hi-tech holocaust: Microsoft’s role in Gaza genocide

Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed

  • Technology
  • 28 Oct 2025
What Marr evidently didn't seem to understand was that Hedges isn't saying that Western journalists manipulate the truth, but that they systematically amplify Israeli narratives they know are false. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Western journalists know they have a case to answer for their betrayal of Gaza, and it frightens them

  • Opinion
  • 24 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Displaced Sudanese who fled El-Fasher after the city fell to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), rest near the town of Tawila in war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region (AP)
Politics

UAE directly funded RSF, leading to fall of El-Fasher: Sudan

'You’re not welcome in Greece': Israelis face port protests
Politics

'You’re not welcome in Greece': Israelis face port protests

This photo released by the Israeli military on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, shows ground operations inside the Gaza Strip (AP)
Politics

IOF soldier who fought in Gaza, Lebanon denied entry to Czech Republic

UN inquiry exposes 'Israel’s' four genocidal crimes against Gaza
Politics

'Israel' committed four genocidal acts in Gaza, UN inquiry finds

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS