How Trump’s 50% Threat Might Be the Kick Europe Needs
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Friday that Europe has a “collective action” problem standing in the way of effective trade negotiations with the United States.
It’s a point Bessent has made before. The Treasury Secretary isn’t just taking a swipe at the European Union.
He is stating a geopolitical reality.
The European Union is a confederation of 27 sovereign nations, each with its own economic interests, domestic politics, and diplomatic priorities.
Negotiating trade deals on behalf of all of them is like steering a canoe with 27 paddles—each rowing in a different direction.
But Bessent’s point goes deeper.
He’s hinting that Trump’s threat of a 50 percent tariff on EU imports might actually help Europe overcome this dysfunction.
By raising the cost of inaction—by making delay and dithering painful—Trump’s strategy creates the very urgency Europe needs to get serious at the negotiating table.
“I think this is in response just to the EU’s pace,” Bessent said.
“I would hope that this would light a fire under the EU.”
This flips the media narrative.
Pundits say Trump’s tariffs are reckless.
But from a game theory perspective, they function like a credible ultimatum.
Europe’s problem isn’t a lack of interest in trade—it’s that its decision-making structure makes action nearly impossible. Trump’s move forces a decision.
It concentrates minds.
