Europe signaled readiness to respond after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs to 25 percent on cars and trucks imported from the European Union (EU), accusing the bloc of failing to comply with a trade deal.
Trump said on May 1 that the EU had not honored the bilateral trade agreement reached last year, and warned of higher duties on vehicles shipped to the United States.
In response, Eurogroup President Kyriakos Pierrakakis on Monday said that Europe is prepared to act if the U.S moves ahead. He stressed that dialogue remains the first choice and that Europe values the transatlantic relationship, but added that "all options" would be considered if commitments are beached.
On the same day, German Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil urged Trump to honor the tariff agreement reached with the EU last summer. He warned that if Trump raises tariffs on EU cars, the bloc will take countermeasures.
Europe ready to respond after Trump threatens 25 pct auto tariffs: officials
Europe ready to respond after Trump threatens 25 pct auto tariffs: officials
Voices of opposition from media and political circles are growing in Japan, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reaffirmed her intention to revise the country's postwar pacifist Constitution on Sunday.
Major newspapers published editorials condemning the move, highlighting widespread street protests fueled by public anxiety that Japan could abandon its peacekeeping role and become an aggressor nation.
The outlets stressed that the postwar pillars of peace and sovereignty must not be forgotten.
Politicians have also voiced sharp criticism on social media.
A senator said the Constitution, particularly Article 9, has acted as a crucial barrier preventing reckless actions like deploying troops to the Middle East.
A former lawmaker said forgetting history invites crisis, while a sitting legislator has condemned the effort as an attempt to turn the nation into a "war profiteer" at the expense of citizens' lives.
Takaichi, on Sunday, the country's Constitution Memorial Day, reaffirmed her intention to revise the Constitution.
Speaking in a video message to a gathering of revision proponents, Takaichi stressed that the postwar supreme law, which serves as the foundation of the country, "should be periodically updated in accordance with the demands of the times," the Kyodo News reported.
Takaichi said that her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) would "advance discussions in the Diet (Japan's parliament) aimed at reaching decisions while securing the cooperation of other parties."
Japan's Constitution, which took effect in 1947, is often referred to as the pacifist Constitution because its Article 9 renounces war as a sovereign right and prohibits Japan from possessing "war potential."
Takaichi is pushing for the first-ever change to the Constitution. According to the Kyodo News, possible amendments include revisions to Article 9, the clause widely seen as the cornerstone of Japan's postwar pacifist stance.
Just weeks ago, at an LDP convention on April 12, Takaichi declared that "the time has come" to reform the Constitution, saying that "we would like to hold next year's convention with a proposal for a constitutional amendment in sight," a move that has triggered deep concern and large-scale protests in Japan.
Opposition voices rise in Japan against revision of pacifist constitution
