European leaders have denounced Donald Trump’s tariffs, calling them “fundamentally wrong” and a “great difficulty for Europe.” They are urging for last-minute negotiations to avoid a full-blown trade war. Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, criticizes Trump’s protectionist tariffs on EU products, stating that they go against the interests of millions of citizens on both sides of the Atlantic and the US, who will unfortunately see their businesses and purchasing power affected. Sánchez gives a strong and defiant speech in Madrid, stating that the US administration does not distinguish between friends and enemies and that returning to 19th-century protectionism is not a smart way to tackle 21st-century challenges.

Germany’s outgoing chancellor, Olaf Scholz, calls Trump’s decision “fundamentally wrong” and an attack on a trade system that has created prosperity worldwide. France’s prime minister, François Bayrou, also calls the tariffs a “huge difficulty for Europe” and a “catastrophe for the US and its citizens.” Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, describes the tariffs as a major blow to the world economy and urges Trump to move from confrontation to negotiation. The EU is expected to announce retaliatory tariffs on US consumer and industrial goods, including orange juice, blue

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/03/fundamentally-wrong-european-leaders-condemn-trump-tariffs