A former European Union Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, advises European politicians to assertively represent their interests in dealings with US President Donald Trump. “He needs contradiction when he says something that’s not true” Juncker told the news portal T-Online.
“In my conversations and negotiations with Trump, I noticed that even his own delegation often contradicts him. I’ve never seen that before” Juncker said, noting that Trump’s approach differs from those of former US Presidents like Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and George W. Bush. Juncker also praised the recent public correction of Trump by French President Emmanuel Macron, calling it the “right” approach.
The former EU Commission President also described his negotiating strategy with Trump during the latter’s first term. To avert the threatened US tariffs in 2018, Juncker based his arguments on facts. “He would always say, ‘Your numbers are wrong.’ Then I would respond, ‘Those are your own numbers, from the US Statistical Agency. I’m not lying when I present American data.'”
Trump, Juncker said, views politics as a business transaction: “He doesn’t talk about agreements, but deals.” Juncker recommends that European politicians adopt this negotiating style: “One must behave like a dealmaker, argue toughly in the matter and not hide the cards one has, but put them on the table. It works well if one does it right. I did it that way.