Analysis: did Germany just pull the plug on Obama’s European trade deal?

US President Barack Obama has long envisioned leaving office with two trade deals in place: the Trans-Pacific Partnership with Asian nations, and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with Europe. Both now seem slated to fail.

On Sunday, German Economic Minister and vice-chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, said that TTIP talks between the US and EU have essentially fallen apart.

“In my opinion, the negotiations with the United States have de facto failed, even though nobody is really admitting it,” Gabriel said during a question-and-answer session with citizens in Berlin. He added that after 14 rounds of talks, the two sides haven’t agreed on one common item out of 27 chapters being discussed.

“We mustn’t submit to the American proposals,” said Gabriel, who also heads Germany’s centre-left Social Democratic Party.

Chief EU negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero, asked Monday about Gabriel’s comments, said: “No, no. Remember what Mark Twain said,” referring to the American author’s comment that reports of his death were exaggerated.