In a recent interview with the German weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) urged the EU to impose counter-tariffs if US President Donald Trump were to impose tariffs on European Union products. Habeck emphasized that he does not want a trade war with the United States, but Europe must not be pushed around and must stand up for itself. He cited Canada and Mexico as examples of countries that have taken a similar approach in the face of US tariffs.
The minister also criticized the stance of CDU’s chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz on the debt brake, specifically the lack of defense spending. Habeck estimated that the necessary additional defense expenditures would amount to 40 to 45 billion euros per year and argued that cutting refugee costs or citizen’s benefits would not be sufficient to cover the costs. He accused Merz of lacking government experience and warned against prioritizing national security over social cohesion.