The former French finance minister, Thierry Breton, said it was 'probably time to pause and reset' the transatlantic relationship.
"There is, indeed, a growing feeling in Europe—and I say this with regret—"A partnership works when both parties are honest and truthful with each other, when both parties treat each other with respect, and when both partners are strong—and, of course, when there is trust," Breton said.
Breton welcomed the decision to lift a U.S. travel ban on fully vaccinated Europeans but suggested it should have come earlier because"Europe is the first continent in terms of people being vaccinated, so it's true that we did not understand very well why we were in the same list as Iran, Brazil, China, and so on."
"Well, there is a growing feeling in Europe that something is wrong. It's a feeling. It's a feeling within our citizens. It's a feeling within some member states. And the strength of our partnership is extremely important and paramount," he said. "I mean, there are these voices, and that's a political reality. Of course, personally, I regret it. I hope that we'll be able to work again in good spirit and in trust. Because at the end of the day, we are allies. We have been allies for decades. We will be allies for decades. But we want everybody to be reminded of this on both sides of the Atlantic. And by the way, regarding China, we know that China is our systemic rival," he said.
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