Orbán Criticizes EU Trade Deal Following U.S.-U.K. Agreement
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán decried the recent EU trade deal following the U.S.-U.K. agreement, asserting that “it wasn’t a deal that President Donald Trump made with Ursula von der Leyen; it was Donald Trump eating Ursula von der Leyen for breakfast,” reports 24brussels. As a longstanding critic of Brussels leadership and a supporter of Trump’s agenda, Orbán highlighted perceived shortcomings of the EU’s negotiations.
He claimed that the U.S.-U.K. agreement is significantly superior to that of the EU. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó echoed Orbán’s sentiments, stating that the trade deal is “another sign that Brussels needs new leadership.”
Other Euroskeptic figures, including German far-right AfD leader Alice Weidel and French political figure Marine Le Pen, joined in the criticism of the EU’s negotiations. They argue that the deal falls short of the interests of European nations.
In contrast, French centrist Prime Minister François Bayrou lamented the trade deal, calling it a “dark day” for an alliance that should be asserting its values. He expressed disappointment that such negotiations led to a submission to outside interests.
Despite the criticisms, many European leaders welcomed the agreement, viewing it as a means to prevent a more extensive trade conflict. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz remarked that a no-deal scenario would have adversely affected Germany more severely, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni characterized the agreement as “sustainable.”
As discussions surrounding the implications of this trade deal continue, it is evident that reactions remain polarized across the European political landscape.
