French and Hungarian leaders slam EU trade deal with Trump

AhlulBayt News Agency: French and Hungarian leaders have sharply criticized a newly signed trade agreement between the United States and the European Union, labeling it as a humiliating concession that undermines European sovereignty.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou called the accord, finalized Sunday by US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a “dark day” for Europe.

Bayrou remarked on X that it was shameful for a union of free nations to abandon their values and submit to external pressure.

The agreement imposes a 15% tariff on EU exports to the US, which helped prevent a full-scale trade war but sparked political backlash, especially in France.

While President Emmanuel Macron has not commented publicly, members of parliament from across party lines have condemned the deal.

Far-right National Rally leader Jordan Bardella accused von der Leyen of surrendering Europe commercially to Washington.

Marine Le Pen labeled the agreement a “political, economic, and moral fiasco.”

Even lawmakers close to Macron criticized the deal. Pieyre-Alexandre Anglade, who chairs the European Affairs Committee in France's National Assembly, said it signals weakness to global competitors and called for reversal.

Philippe Latombe, an MP from Bayrou’s party, said avoiding a trade conflict came at the cost of “subservience” and sacrificing key aspects of sovereignty.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban mocked the outcome, saying Trump had “eaten von der Leyen for breakfast.”

In a livestream, Orban compared the new agreement unfavorably with the UK-US deal, saying it offers poorer terms for the EU.

He said the accord would hurt Hungary’s export-reliant economy, notably in automotive and pharmaceutical industries.

Although EU leaders defended the pact as a way to stabilize transatlantic trade, critics say it deepens the bloc’s dependence on Washington.

The backlash highlights internal fractures within the EU and growing calls to re-evaluate its strategic alignment with the United States.

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