Why the Dutch are hoping to leap the commerce queue with Trump

Good morning.

At the moment, our commerce correspondent reveals the Netherlands’ “proactive” bid to scope out potential “one-to-one” commerce relations with Donald Trump’s administration, and our Georgia correspondent explains why the Caucasus nation has paused its EU accession bid (six months after Brussels did).

Have an amazing weekend.

Proactive

Dealing with a second Donald Trump time period within the White Home, European Fee officers are fretting that member states may search particular favours from the US president reasonably than type a united entrance. They’re proper to: the Dutch are already ploughing forward, writes Andy Bounds.

Context: Trump has threatened to hit Europe with blanket commerce tariffs of 10 to twenty per cent, however previously has usually hit items selectively to punish particular international locations, and spared those that did what he needed.

Whereas the EU is a single buying and selling bloc and all 27 members observe joint guidelines, they’ve very totally different economies. A tariff on prescription drugs would hit the Netherlands, whereas one on wine would harm France, Spain and Italy.

So it would fear Brussels to study that Dutch financial system minister Dirk Beljaarts has already visited Trump’s casual commerce adviser and is planning extra journeys to the US earlier than the January 20 inauguration.

Beljaarts advised the Monetary Instances he met Robert Lighthizer, the previous US commerce consultant who drew up the tariff plans in September. “He’s very influential,” Beljaarts stated. “So I took a very proactive approach there to make sure that we don’t wait and see what happens.”

He added that he needed to “build the relationship and know what drives them”.

It helps that Beljaarts belongs to the Freedom occasion of far-right veteran Geert Wilders, who has long-standing ties to Trump. It’s now the largest occasion within the Dutch coalition authorities.

“Republican trade policy is more focused on bilateral agreements rather than multilateral,” stated Beljaarts. “There will also always be a role for the EU there. But one needs to be very well aware that the preference is on the one to one.”

The EU has a big commerce surplus with the US, and dealing with looming tariffs has change into a chief concern in Brussels. European Central Financial institution chief Christine Lagarde has stated that Europe ought to co-operate with Trump and purchase American merchandise to keep away from a commerce battle.

“There’s a lot of work being done on several possible scenarios and countermeasures in the EU but also in the Netherlands,” Beljaarts stated

No surprise newly reinstalled European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen used the primary press convention of her new time period to name for unity.

Chart du jour: Is France the brand new Greece?

France’s borrowing prices have surpassed these of Greece as traders fret concerning the authorities’s potential to cross a deficit-trimming funds — and its potential to outlive in any respect. 

Nail within the coffin

Georgia’s parliament yesterday introduced it might droop the nation’s EU accession course of till 2028. Whereas the method was already on ice, this sends a big sign to its 3.8mn residents, greater than 80 per cent of whom assist becoming a member of the EU, writes Anastasia Stognei.

Context: Brussels had frozen Georgia’s accession over a so-called international affect regulation enacted by the ruling Georgian Dream occasion, which was deemed to be breaching democratic rules.

Yesterday’s announcement noticed GD brazenly oppose EU membership for the primary time. In energy since 2012, the pro-Russian occasion had beforehand promoted EU integration. It was in cost when Georgia enshrined membership as a purpose within the structure in 2017, and secured candidate standing in late 2023.

In its assertion, GD claimed that European officers used the bloc’s funds to blackmail Georgia. By 2028, Georgia will likely be “economically ready” to renew talks with the EU and be part of by 2030 “with dignity”, reasonably than “as a charity case”, GD stated.

Inside an hour of the assertion yesterday, 1000’s of Georgians flooded Tbilisi’s central avenue. Protests additionally erupted in different main cities, as demonstrators waved Georgian and EU flags.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili stated GD had “declared war on its own people” and halting accession places an finish to the “constitutional coup unfolding for weeks”.

Zourabichvili was referring to final month’s parliamentary elections in Georgia, which the opposition has stated had been rigged. The opposition has not taken up seats in parliament, which is functioning with out nearly half its members.

In the meantime, Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former Manchester Metropolis footballer sympathetic to GD, has been nominated as its presidential candidate.

The European parliament yesterday handed a decision calling for new elections, in addition to sanctions in opposition to main Georgian politicians, together with oligarch and GD founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.

The precise extent of GD’s co-operation with Moscow stays unclear. However Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday praised the Georgian authorities’s “courage and determination in standing up for their beliefs”, whereas denying any official involvement.

What to look at in the present day

1. Irish normal election.

2. EU ministers answerable for analysis and area meet.

Now learn these