Overview

• Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, has advocated for a US-EU free-trade zone, citing the need to reduce tariffs and support French exporters.
• Arnault criticized the EU as being dominated by bureaucracy rather than effective political leadership, calling this a barrier to trade progress.
• He warned that high tariffs could force LVMH to shift more production to the United States, holding EU leaders accountable for such an outcome.
• Left-wing politicians, including Fabien Roussel and Manon Aubry, condemned Arnault’s stance, accusing him of undermining French agriculture and industry.
• Right-wing figures, such as Jordan Bardella, praised Arnault’s critique of Brussels, aligning it with calls to reduce EU bureaucratic control.