German AfD Leader: Americans See ‘No One at the EU Level They Can Seriously Negotiate With’
Reflecto News | Europe-US Relations | Geopolitics
BERLIN — Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has declared that American officials see “no one at the EU level they can seriously negotiate with,” dismissing EU officials as weak and unrepresentative of the bloc’s individual member states.
Weidel’s remarks, made during a press conference in Berlin, tap into a long-standing critique from eurosceptic circles that the European Commission and the European External Action Service lack the authority and political weight to negotiate effectively with global powers like the United States and China.
“The Americans don’t see anyone at the EU level they can seriously negotiate with. EU officials are perceived as weak and not truly representative of the individual nations.”
— Alice Weidel, Leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD)
🇺🇸 American Perceptions of EU Weakness
Weidel’s claim is not without anecdotal evidence. Since President Trump returned to the White House, his administration has frequently bypassed Brussels in favor of direct bilateral talks with individual European capitals.
Evidence cited by Weidel:
- Iran War Negotiations: The US conducted peace talks with Iran in Islamabad with Pakistan as the mediator, and has not included the EU in the latest round of negotiations. The EU has been a peripheral observer at best.
- Energy Security: President Trump has negotiated energy deals directly with Germany (over LNG terminals) and Italy rather than through an EU energy commissioner.
- Trade: The US signed a limited trade deal with the United Kingdom post-Brexit, and is negotiating bilaterally with France over digital taxes, rather than settling disputes via the European Commission.
- NATO Spending: Trump’s demands for increased defense spending targeted individual nations (Germany in particular) rather than the EU collectively.
Weidel argues that this is not an accident; it reflects the fact that US officials view European Commission officials as bureaucrats rather than political leaders, lacking the democratic mandate and the political authority to make binding, long‑term commitments on behalf of the member states.
🇪🇺 ‘Not Truly Representative of the Individual Nations’
A core element of Weidel’s critique is that EU officials, particularly European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and High Representative Josep Borrell (or his successor), are not directly elected by European citizens and do not command the same political legitimacy as heads of state and government.
While the European Parliament is directly elected, the Commission President is nominated by the European Council and approved by Parliament—not chosen directly by voters. Weidel believes this lack of direct accountability makes EU negotiators “weak.”
The AfD has long called for a “Europe of Fatherlands” in which the European Union’s powers would be sharply curtailed, and foreign policy would remain the exclusive domain of national governments. Weidel’s comments reflect the frustration of eurosceptics that member states ceded control of trade, competition policy, and some foreign policy coordination to Brussels, without creating a truly effective “United States of Europe” vis‑à‑vis the United States.
In this view, the EU is caught in a “no‑man’s land”: too integrated to allow member states to act fully independently, but not integrated enough to negotiate as a single superpower. Weidel argues that the Americans have figured this out and now exploit it, dealing directly with national capitals and bypassing Brussels.
📉 A Broader European Crisis of Representation
Weidel’s criticism of EU officials “not truly representative” may carry more weight in Central and Eastern Europe than in Brussels. The populist governments of Hungary (Viktor Orbán), Poland (Law and Justice, though out of power as of 2026), and others have long complained that the EU institutions are dominated by Western European political elites who do not understand the security concerns of the former Eastern bloc.
In the context of the Iran war and the war in Ukraine, these tensions have become more acute. Central European states feel exposed should Russia attack them, and they worry that Western European governments (Germany, France) might strike a deal with Putin over their heads. The lack of a unified EU position on how to handle the end of the war in Ukraine is a case in point: Hungary continues to maintain ties with Moscow, while Poland and the Baltics push for a total defeat of Russia.
Weidel’s AfD also maintains friendly relations with Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, which left the European People’s Party group in 2021 and has since been a steadfast critic of Brussels’ “overreach.”
🪖 The Defense Dimension: Who Speaks for Europe?
NATO, not the EU, remains the primary forum for transatlantic defense cooperation, but the EU has been trying to build a “European security pillar.” The EU’s inability to field a joint rapid reaction force, or to jointly arm Ukraine, has been a source of frustration.
Weidel points to the EU’s sluggish response to the US request that European nations send troops to Greenland (a Danish territory) to backstop NATO’s Arctic flank as another example of Brussels failing to lead.
In defense, it is national capitals (London, Paris, Berlin) that matter to Washington, not the EU’s Political and Security Committee. Weidel’s argument is that this imbalance—economic integration without political union—cripples European influence globally. The Americans, she says, have correctly diagnosed this and treat the EU accordingly: as a “secondary player.”
⚠️ Implications for the Future of EU-US Relations
The EU is already taking steps to address the perception of weakness. The creation of a “European Political Community” (EPC) was a French-led initiative to include non-EU countries like the UK and Turkey in security talks, bypassing Brussels. But Weidel believes this is not enough.
For the AfD, the solution is repatriation of powers to national capitals—a radical shift that would effectively dismantle the EU’s federalist ambitions. For centrist parties, the solution is further integration, including the creation of a genuine European foreign minister (with a real budget) and majority voting on foreign policy.
The Biden-Trump transition was a shock to European systems; the Trump administration has confirmed that the era of US automatic commitment to European security is over. Weidel’s warning is that European weakness is now a fact, not just a perception, and that if the EU does not reform—either by becoming a genuine federal state or by devolving powers back to capitals—it will remain a “paper tiger” that no serious power (China, Russia, or the US) will take seriously.
🗣️ Response from Brussels
European Commission officials have pushed back against the “weak” characterization. A Commission spokesperson declined to comment on Weidel’s specific charges but noted that the EU has concluded major trade deals with Japan, Vietnam, and Mercosur, and that the bloc’s sanctions on Russia have held for over four years despite war fatigue.
Nevertheless, the perception of weakness persists—particularly among eurosceptics like Weidel and foreign officials who prefer dealing with individual national leaders.
As for President Trump, he has dealt with both EU officials (Ursula von der Leyen) and national leaders (Chancellor Merz, President Macron) and has been sharply critical of both. The question is not so much whom the US finds “serious” but whether the US respects European interests at all—and on that score, many Europeans share Weidel’s concern, while diverging sharply on the remedy.
📋 Key Takeaways for Reflecto News Readers
| Aspect | Summary |
|---|---|
| Weidel’s Claim | Americans see “no one at the EU level they can seriously negotiate with.” |
| US Behavior | Trump bypasses Brussels for bilateral deals (Iran war, energy, trade, NATO). |
| EU Perceived Weakness | Officials seen as bureaucrats lacking democratic mandate and political authority. |
| Not Truly Representative | EU officials not directly elected; member state interests ignored. |
| AfD Solution | “Europe of Fatherlands” – repatriate powers from Brussels to national capitals. |
| Centrist View | Solution is more integration (federalism, majority voting, joint defense). |
| Broader Crisis | Erosion of US security commitment exposes EU’s lack of strategic autonomy. |
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