Once hailed as the sacred marriage of democracy and economic prosperity, the European Union now finds itself standing at the altar of global trade with its vows in tatters, watching as the United States, under a renewed Trump presidency, tears up the wedding contract and serves it back with a fresh set of tariffs. A new 20% slap on EU imports from Washington has sent Brussels into damage control mode, trying to conjure the illusion of strength while the foundations of its economic model crumble beneath its feet.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the unelected matriarch of the Brussels machine, donned her most regal tone to assure the continent that “Europe holds a lot of cards.” But it’s hard to ignore that the deck might be missing a few aces. In fact, markets responded to her grand pronouncement not with confidence, but with a nosedive – the Euro Stoxx 50 mimicking the trajectory of a skydiver who forgot his parachute.

Still, von der Leyen insists that unity is the answer. Unity, that increasingly hollow slogan of the EU, is apparently the panacea to all ills – be they economic stagnation, geopolitical humiliation, or internal social fragmentation. Yet unity has proven itself more a euphemism for conformity, especially when Brussels demands lockstep obedience to its policies, no matter how self-destructive they may be.

Ursula von der Leyen wasn’t alone in this charade. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck enthusiastically joined the chorus, pledging that pressure would now be “unfolded” – whatever that means – against Donald Trump. He described the economic clash as an arm-wrestling match between Europe and the US. But while Trump is flexing with the confidence of a seasoned streetfighter, the EU looks like a middle-aged accountant showing up at a bodybuilding contest wearing a polo shirt and cargo........

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