Brussels — A leading Socialist MEP has called on the European Commission to move swiftly to protect the International Criminal Court (ICC) from what she describes as a sustained assault by the Trump administration. Chloé Ridel, a French member of the Socialists and Democrats group, said the US president's actions against the Hague-based tribunal are "unacceptable" and amount to an attempt to "erase the court" because it operates beyond his control.
Speaking to reporters in Strasbourg, Ridel pointed to a year of escalating pressure from Washington, including sanctions and visa restrictions on ICC officials. She argued that the European Union has both the legal and political tools to push back, and that the time for deliberation is over.
A blocking statute as a shield
Ridel specifically urged the European Commission to activate a so-called blocking statute — a regulation that would nullify the effects of US sanctions within EU territory. Such a measure, she said, would "block the effects of the American sanctions against the court" and send a clear signal that Europe will not tolerate external interference with international justice.
The call comes amid broader transatlantic friction over the ICC's investigations, which have included probes into alleged war crimes by US forces in Afghanistan and by Israeli forces in Gaza. Washington has consistently rejected the court's jurisdiction over its nationals, and the Trump administration has imposed sanctions on ICC prosecutor Karim Khan and other senior officials.
Ridel's remarks echo concerns voiced by several EU member states and legal experts who warn that the court's credibility is at stake. "If the EU does not act now, we risk complicity in the dismantling of the ICC," she said. "The court was created to hold the powerful accountable, and that is precisely why it is being targeted."
The European Commission has so far stopped short of adopting a blocking statute, which would be a significant escalation in the EU's response. However, diplomats in Brussels say the issue is under active discussion, particularly as defence priorities and the rule of law are being re-evaluated across the bloc.
Ridel's intervention lands at a moment when the EU is also grappling with other Trump-era challenges, from tariffs on Russian energy to the broader reshaping of transatlantic relations. The ICC dispute, however, touches on a core principle: the independence of international justice.
Legal analysts note that a blocking statute would not only protect EU-based ICC staff and officials from US sanctions but also prohibit EU companies and individuals from complying with those sanctions. Similar legislation was used in the 1990s to counter US sanctions on Cuba, Iran, and Libya, though it was rarely enforced.
Whether the Commission will heed Ridel's call remains uncertain. Some member states, wary of provoking Washington, have preferred quiet diplomacy. But Ridel insists that the EU's credibility as a champion of international law is on the line.
"We have the means to protect the court," she said. "What we lack is the political will. That must change."
The ICC, for its part, has continued its work despite the pressure, with ongoing investigations in multiple countries. Yet the court's ability to operate effectively is increasingly dependent on the support of its 124 member states, many of which are European.
As the dispute deepens, the EU's next move will be closely watched — not only in The Hague but in capitals across the world that look to Europe to defend the rules-based international order.
