On July 27, U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new U.S.–EU trade deal: the EU accepts unilateral U.S. tariffs of 15 percent on its exports, plans to invest 600 billion dollars in the United States, and commits to energy purchases worth 750 billion dollars—specifically U.S. liquefied natural gas, oil, and nuclear fuels. A discernible return for Europe? None. AfD MEP Petr Bystron, a member of the ESN Group, has therefore submitted a written question to the European Commission.
The ESN Group MEP, Petr Bystron, explains:
“With a parliamentary question I have called on the Commission to show where these gigantic sums are supposed to come from, whether EU funds will be used, and whether at least the oft-cited 25 percent climate target from the ‘Next Generation EU’ program will be met.
This deal exposes the EU’s complete hypocrisy: on the one hand, Brussels is systematically ruining European industries with its so-called Green Deal, banning combustion-engine cars, demonizing nuclear power, and driving up energy prices for our citizens. On the other hand, the Commission now suddenly pays 750 billion dollars for precisely those energy sources—fossil fuels and nuclear power—that it claims to be fighting here. And the money is to flow to the U.S., rather than into building reliable energy supply in Europe.
That is exactly where the question puts its finger on the sore spot. If Brussels truly cared about CO₂, it wouldn’t be financing U.S. gas and nuclear power while harassing European farmers, tradespeople, and commuters.
I expect full transparency from the Commission regarding sources of financing, project details, and the actual impact of these absurd measures.”
