A significant proportion of individuals in the EU’s five largest member states believe the European Commission compromised the interests of its citizens by agreeing to a trade deal with the United States that heavily favors America, a recent survey indicates. The poll conducted by Cluster17, reveals that 77% of the respondents, ranging from a high of 89% in France to a low of 50% in Poland, think the deal predominantly benefits the United States, with only a paltry 2% thinking it would benefit Europe.
Respondents across the five countries, which collectively represent approximately 60% of the EU’s population, described the July agreement between US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as a “humiliation” by an average of 52%. The deal entails the removal of tariffs on all US industrial goods and offers preferential market access for a wide array of US seafood and agricultural products. In exchange, most EU goods entering the US will be subject to a 15% baseline tariff. The agreement also entails EUR 600 billion additional investment by EU companies in the US, a commitment to purchase EUR 750 billion of US energy, and significantly increase spending on US defense exports – elements negatively perceived by more than two-thirds of the survey’s participants.
Von der Leyen described the agreement as “a huge deal” that brings “stability” and “predictability,” averting Trump’s threatened imposition of a 30% tariff rate. However, many critics argue that the EU gave up more concessions than the US, essentially surrendering to Washington’s aggressive bargaining tactics. This view is echoed by most Europeans polled, with an average of 75% stating that von der Leyen poorly defended European interests. Almost 70% of the respondents expressed their readiness to boycott US products in response to the accord’s terms; 44% regard Trump as “an enemy of Europe”; 47% perceive him as having “autocratic tendencies”; and 36% assert that he “behaves like a dictator”.
The majority of the survey’s participants expressed dissatisfaction with the EU’s stance towards the Trump administration, with nearly 40% advocating for the bloc to firmly oppose the US president’s capricious demands.
The survey results were revealed just as von der Leyen is set to give her “state of the union” address. It suggests that a sizeable majority, 60%, would favorably view the resignation of the commission’s president. It also found that while majorities, ranging from 85% in Spain to 61% in France, support EU membership for their respective countries, 37% believe that if the EU fails to safeguard its citizens from geopolitical threats, the prospect of leaving the bloc “should be envisaged”.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/09/majority-in-eu-biggest-states-believes-bloc-sold-out-in-us-tariff-deal-poll-donald-trump
