The Secret EU Trade Negotiator Who Made Trump Wait

Bernd Lange, a mild-mannered 70-year-old German Social Democrat, became the main internal obstacle to a transatlantic trade deal that many lawmakers saw as one-sided. The deal, struck last July by Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, aimed to lower tariffs, but Lange, backed by center-left, liberal, and Green lawmakers, pushed for safeguards to allow the EU to claw back concessions if Washington failed to keep promises.

The turning point came when Trump threatened to annex Greenland and later menaced Spain with a trade embargo. Lange's coalition froze the process, demanding the deal be 'Trump-proofed.' This stalled progress, frustrating Washington and prompting Trump to threaten higher tariffs if the EU did not deliver by July 4.

After months of deadlock, a compromise was reached in late May. The final text gives the Commission discretion to suspend the deal if the US fails to lower steel and aluminum tariffs by end-2026. However, it lacks explicit protection of territorial integrity, and the expiry date was pushed to end-2029, later than Lange wanted.

Lange's skepticism is rooted in his home state of Lower Saxony, home to Volkswagen and Salzgitter. He grew up in a family that owned a gas station and garage, and his office walls bear photos of his first car. Known for his meticulous and stubborn negotiating style, he can raise his voice behind closed doors. One colleague compared him to former Chancellor Angela Merkel, saying he prefers to wait rather than act hastily.

In negotiations with the Commission, Lange played 'bad cop' to Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič's 'good cop.' At one point, Šefčovič stormed out of negotiations in frustration. Lange's resolve softened after US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer promised to exempt some products from tariffs.

Lange admits he didn't get everything he wanted, but quoting the Rolling Stones, he says: 'If you try hard, you get what you need.'