The parliamentary manager of the SPD Bundestag faction, Dirk Wiese, has called for a suspension of the ratification process for the planned trade agreement amid new tariff announcements by U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking to Politico, Wiese said that “given the current situation and the ruling, we must now pause the ratification process”. He added that uncertainty and lack of clarity make it “good to take a break”.
At the same time, Wiese sharply criticized Trump’s recent moves. While he acknowledged that the rule of law still exists in the United States, Trump “immediately announced new tariffs of 15 percent based on a different legal basis, and only for 150 days”. This, Wiese said, demonstrates the unpredictability we are being exposed to. Europe must now “step up, show our strength, and bite back”.
Wiese also hinted at using the European Anti‑Coercion Act against the United States. He noted that the bloc had approved such an act toward China in the past and now might consider it for the U.S. “A few months ago, I didn’t even think about it, but we must put every tool on the table now”.
Regarding Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s upcoming trip to Washington, Wiese predicted that Merz would “make it very clear that this style of politics is unacceptable”. Europe must present itself confidently as a single market of 450 million citizens.
Wiese’s view on a general “de‑risking” stance toward the U.S. is more nuanced. He says there remains “very trustful collaboration with many U.S. states” and that we should “not talk only to Washington”. At the same time, he sees a need for reform inside Europe. The Draghi Report, he notes, provides “a very, very good guide” especially for completing the Capital Markets Union.