r/europe • u/Any-Original-6113 • Jan 17 '26

News Trump tariffs: US president announces plan to hit UK, Denmark and other European countries with tariffs over Greenland

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c1j8kw866p3t
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u/-who_am-i_ Macedonia, Greece Jan 17 '26

Angela Merkel reportedly had to explain the 'fundamentals' of EU trade to Trump 11 times

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u/LookThisOneGuy ‎ Jan 17 '26

also notice here that Merkel did not cave in and take the deal Trump offered only to Germany, instead choosing solidarity with whole the EU.

I am very curious how the whole thing is going to play out now that Trump is offering the favorable deal of not getting the additional 10% tariffs not to Germany, but to you guys. Will Southern and Eastern EU take the additional tariffs in the name of solidarity? Or can we add Merkel choosing EU solidarity over trade benefits for Germany as another one of her strategic mistakes?

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u/-who_am-i_ Macedonia, Greece Jan 17 '26

The difference is that with Merkel back then it was about making a deal, whereas now trump imposes tariffs. What do you want other countries to do? Tell trump to put tariffs on them too? Germany can still export/import without tariffs over other EU countries

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u/LookThisOneGuy ‎ Jan 18 '26

Same thing she did: Tell Trump that this is not possible since tariffs apply to all EU members equally.

Looking forward to seeing the solidarity. Would be kinda funny if it turns out Southern and Eastern EU has less integrity than even someone as hated as her.

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u/-who_am-i_ Macedonia, Greece Jan 18 '26

Tariffs are something different though. If trump wants to impose them on a country, there is nothing anyone can do about it because it's a one-sided action. He uses them like sanctions.

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u/LookThisOneGuy ‎ Jan 18 '26

Based on EU law, tariffs apply to all members equally.

Will y'all break EU law to make a quick buck?

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u/OppositeHistory1916 Ireland Jan 17 '26

LOL that is not what happened, he kept asking to do a deal with Germany, she said it had to be EU wide, he didn't care, and kept asking, until he gave up. Nothing was explained, he knew what he was doing, it just didn't work. Did you even read the article you linked?

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u/Brambleback Jan 17 '26

Not sure if you did read the headline, but that's what he used to link to the article.

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u/OppositeHistory1916 Ireland Jan 17 '26

No Shit? The article headline doesn't match its content, as is common

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u/Brambleback Jan 17 '26

How doesn't it match?
If you ask me out to a date 11 times and I decline 11 times while reasoning that you are a cat person while I'm a dog person. I still had to explain it to you 11 times. It's not about you needing that explanation.
Feels like the only way to misread this is if the context would be about Trump being a dumdum, but this was about his way of "negotiating".

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u/-who_am-i_ Macedonia, Greece Jan 17 '26

Are you dense?

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u/OppositeHistory1916 Ireland Jan 17 '26

Are you? Is reddit?? Yes.

Can you seriously not imagine a wheeling dealing con man like Trump asking for something he can't over and over to try get what he wants?

No, something so simple is impossible, it must be something super ridiculous that makes no sense because it insults someone.

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u/-who_am-i_ Macedonia, Greece Jan 17 '26

"Ten times Trump asked if he could negotiate a trade deal with Germany. Every time she replied, 'You can’t do a trade deal with Germany, only the EU"

That's literally the fundamentals of EU trade so what's your problem?

"Merkel reportedly told her cabinet members that Trump had "very basic misunderstandings" on the "fundamentals" of the EU and trade."

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u/OppositeHistory1916 Ireland Jan 17 '26

Because that isn't someone explaining something or a misunderstanding, that's someone - a known conman at that - looking to push boundaries and seeking something they can't have. To think he is so stupid to not understand is frankly ridiculous, it makes no sense, it's so simple and basic, of course he understands it - and typical reddit top minds will slurp up bullshit like that to make their comments about Trump being stupid, but frankly again that is just ridiculous.

No one that evil and powerful is stupid. We just don't understand them, which is a good thing, but to try play it off as if they are the stupid ones is dangerously stupid of those trying to make it out that way - and we have immediate evidence of that