Trump Insinuates European Union, French-Cancerian German President Meets At Elysee Palace

JAKARTA - French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet in Paris to discuss Ukraine and economic issues.

This meeting came after US President Donald Trump threatened Canada, Mexico, and China with high import duties. Trump said Europe was experiencing difficulties in a trade surplus with the United States.

"European Union is very, very bad at us," Trump told reporters at the White House.

Many EU countries have export-oriented economies. Because they are already facing higher energy costs due to the war in Ukraine and the slowdown in trade with China, they do not like the idea of forming a new front with the US.

However, there is very little consensus in the EU regarding how to respond.

Both Europe and the US have no interest in increasing trade wars, French government spokesman Sophie Primas told reporters.

"We have entered a new phase of negotiations with the US. The relationship with President Trump is transactional. We must have the same determination as the US, we must show our strength," he added.

Both Macron who lost the interim elections last year and Scholz, who lag behind their conservative rivals in polls for Germany's elections next month, have weakened politically at home.

The pair have different opinions on many issues in recent years, which have slowed down decision-making in the EU and left a leadership vacuum that is difficult for EU institutions to fill.

"French-Germany relations must heat up very strongly and quickly," said a French government source, speaking without wanting to be named.

"Europe will not be able to bounce back without a strong French-Germany pair," he continued.

One of the issues they seem to agree on is the agenda of the lunch at the Elysee Palace, a push to cut bureaucracy and increase competitiveness.

But as leading German politicians push for a free trade agreement between Europe and the US, France says the EU must reject economic coercion and apply a retaliatory rate if attacked.