00:00Our correspondent in Strasbourg, Vincenzo Genovese, has plans for tonight.
00:03He'll be covering these crunch talks for Euronews and he's standing by for us this morning in the very European
00:09Parliament in Strasbourg.
00:10So good morning, Vincenzo. Just tell us, it is make or break time now for the EU-US trade deal.
00:16Tell us more.
00:18It is, Maeve. Good morning. Good morning from Strasbourg.
00:21As you said, as you explained, the clock is ticking, pressure is mounting from the US administration to get this
00:28deal done.
00:28But there are still some clauses, some details to fix.
00:33And we are here with Geliana Zovko, who is one of the people who will be in the room.
00:37She's the negotiator from the European People's Party.
00:41Why is taking so long?
00:44But we must understand that we are here represented by different political groups.
00:50So on one hand, I'm representing the European People's Party, the central-right party that is pro-business, jobs-orientated.
00:58And it's trying to save European industry and European jobs and to give them certainty by making this deal done
01:05and by closing this deal.
01:06But on the other hand, you have groups who are really advocating ideological fight on the other side of the
01:14ocean, which I'm strictly against.
01:16And we are having all these geopolitical changes being a part of the deal, which is not, from the start,
01:25meant to be.
01:26So the prolongation, extension is despite our will, despite the will of the European People's Party.
01:33The socialists are trying to stick to stricter clauses, let's say like this.
01:38Okay, but U.S. President Donald Trump said there is a deadline.
01:42For July, after this, much higher tariffs.
01:45So do you feel the pressure?
01:47But that's a part of the interpretation how this European Union is treating the deal that was done in August
01:56last year.
01:57I mean, if I was an American, I would also be confused about our side of respecting the deal, because
02:05Americans have started his part immediately.
02:08The process is much more simple, but the complex procedure that is completely acceptable from this side and all this
02:18legislative procedure is taking a long time.
02:22And ideological fight, as I already said, in what is going on in the United States.
02:27We, the European People's Party, wanted this deal done immediately, but I'm afraid we cannot do it on our own.
02:36But do you feel confident for tonight? I mean, what are the most contentious points?
02:40I know it's a difficult question.
02:42I mean, I felt confident yesterday.
02:46It's like the weather in Brussels or here in Salzburg.
02:50It changes, you know, every hour.
02:54And by the news that I'm receiving, I'm also receiving different messages from my colleagues.
03:00And I'm not so confident this morning by the...
03:06What did it change?
03:08No, but I haven't seen that the position has changed.
03:11So we will see.
03:12We have a shadows meeting, and I will discuss with my colleagues how serious we are to enter into negotiations
03:18to get this deal done tonight.
03:20But what happens if you can't strike a deal?
03:23I mean, this is one of the last chance to get the deal done and for it to be approved
03:28in June,
03:29plenary session, so to match Trump's deadline.
03:33What will happen?
03:34It will happen a perfect storm for our industry, for our jobs, for our tourism.
03:38I'm from Croatia, everything will, you know, spiral from German car industry to Italian cheese industry,
03:47wine and everything to Croatian tourism industry.
03:50The perfect storm will happen and then the consequences will be clear who will be paying it.
03:56And from the start, I was saying I was for our part of the deal to be respected
04:00and I'm not responsible for a perfect storm we are running into.
04:04Okay, let's hope not.
04:06Jelena Zovko, thank you very much and good luck, I think.
04:09I think you need it.
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