US AND GERMANY DUTIES/ Welfare and pensions at risk, Ursula ends up in the Germans' crosshairs
Reactions from German politicians and the press following the US-EU trade deal
It's not true, as some Italian newspapers have reported, that the Trump-Von der Leyen agreement is particularly advantageous for Germany . The agreement, which provides preferential tariffs for the import of certain American goods into the EU, was presented by the German government as a compromise to avoid a new escalation of trade between the two sides of the Atlantic. However, there has been no shortage of criticism even in Germany, where the trade balance and industrial vocation make the issue particularly sensitive.
The federal government, formed by the alliance of the CDU/CSU and SPD, greeted the agreement with some caution. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) stated that, while it was a "painful" compromise, it was a lesser evil than a potential trade war. However, he also emphasized that the tariff asymmetry—15% for the entry of certain European products into the United States versus 0% for American exports to the EU—could negatively impact German exports, already strained by the economic downturn. Heavy industry, which remains a cornerstone of the German economy, will be particularly hard hit.
Even the SPD, the governing partner, has acknowledged the need for agreement, albeit with reservations. Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil emphasized that "dialogue is preferable to conflict," but also warned that the European Union must be ready to react if commitments are not met. The coalition's general stance appears to be to keep the diplomatic route open, but without renouncing the defense of German economic interests.
The Greens, the third partner in the previous majority and now among the most vocal voices in the parliamentary opposition, have been more vocal in their criticism. Outgoing Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has denounced the tariffs as disproportionately affecting Germany and called for a unified response from the EU. Former Environment Minister Steffi Lemke has expressed concerns about the agreement's impact on European environmental standards, urging against weakening climate goals to accommodate American demands.
Alternative for Germany (AfD), a longtime critic of European institutions, has expressed a divided position within its ranks. Alice Weidel harshly criticized the agreement, calling it further evidence of Europe's economic subordination to the United States and an obstacle to German sovereignty.
Other party members, including Maximilian Krah, have instead shown some understanding for Trump's strategy, viewing it as an example of national assertiveness against perceived ineffective multilateral structures—essentially, as if he were saying, "Why don't we do the same?"
Even more vocal are the party's smaller voices, reflected in the numerous comments on AfD-related websites. A response to the American tariffs, in true Trump style, is available, and AfD has long been advocating it: reopening gas imports from the Russian Federation and, in general, reestablishing mutually beneficial economic relations with it.
Even the left-wing Die Linke party rejected the agreement as a further step toward Europe's subjugation to the US economic model. In statements to the press, party members described it as a "political gift" to Washington, emphasizing the need for an independent European industrial policy more oriented toward social justice, with, again, the implication of reopening economic channels with Moscow.
All major German newspapers have commented on the agreement. Die Welt called it a "painful compromise" and reported the alarm from German industry, according to which the agreement risks having "devastating effects" on exports.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , while acknowledging the critical issues, went so far as to suggest that trade openness could still be beneficial to the EU in the long term. The liberal and Russophobic FAZ doesn't explain in what way.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung , which is very close to the SPD, highlighted the internal concerns of the government coalition, underlining the tensions between environmental, economic and political objectives and the risk of cracks in the current majority.
In the eyes of the Germans, the one who comes out worst is Ursula von der Leyen, whom many here now call "Von der Lügen" (Translator's note: "The Lie"). Brought to Brussels by Frau Merkel on the classic "Promoveatur ut amoveatur" principle, after the scandals that saw her as a key figure in her role as minister of the Federal Republic, the President of the European Commission is considered a prisoner of her own ideological prejudices and fundamentally unsuited to the role she finds herself occupying.
Meanwhile, given that the situation is unstable and rearmament and tariffs will have a significant impact on federal finances, the first bad news for the German welfare system is arriving. Federal Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) has expressed openness to a possible increase in the retirement age to around 67—albeit with reservations. On the ZDF program "Morgenmagazin," she defended the pension policy of the black-red coalition (CDU/CSU-SPD) and discussed long-term reform plans.
Asked directly whether she could imagine raising the retirement age, Bas replied on ZDF on Friday morning: "I'm open to anything." However, she added that she also favors allowing MPs, civil servants, and the self-employed to contribute to the public pension system in the future. This new openness is surprising: as recently as May, in an interview with the "Berliner Morgenpost," Bas had rejected a general increase in the retirement age.
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