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France's Macron criticises EU-US trade deal, sees it as first step, sources say
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on July 30, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on July 30, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
French President Macron criticizes the EU-US trade deal as a first step, stressing the need for European sovereignty and future negotiations.
PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday criticised a framework deal struck between the European Union and the United States on Sunday, saying it showed the bloc had not managed to be "feared" by U.S. President Donald Trump.
"To be free, you need to be feared. We were not feared enough," he was quoted as telling ministers by French officials.
Although the deal offers more visibility to French businesses, Macron said it was only a first step and would continue to be negotiated.
"Now more than ever, it is important to accelerate the European agenda of sovereignty and competitiveness," Macron said, according to the officials.
(Reporting by Michel Rose, Sudip Kar-Gupta and Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Makini Brice and Benoit Van Overstraeten)
Macron criticized the framework deal, stating it showed the bloc had not managed effectively and was merely a first step that would require further negotiation.
While the deal offers more visibility to French businesses, Macron emphasized that it is only an initial step and further negotiations are necessary.
Macron stressed the importance of accelerating the European agenda of sovereignty and competitiveness, indicating that these are critical for the future.
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