The battle continues

French parliament rejects Mercosur agreement

The protesting farmers are receiving broad support from politicians.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Lionel BONAVENTURE)

After the government in Paris, the French parliament has now also rejected the Mercosur free trade agreement by a large majority. Meanwhile, the farmers' protests in the country continue.

MPs voted against the agreement by a large majority on Tuesday. By 484 votes to 70, the MPs backed the government's position that the agreement should not be accepted in its "current form". Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard had previously criticized in parliament that the agreement "under the current conditions" did not guarantee "fair competitive conditions for our farmers".

The French MPs reject the Mercosur pact in its "current form".

(Bild: APA/AFP/Ian LANGSDON)

Concerns about food security in Poland
The Polish government is equally reluctant to agree, as recently emphasized by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. His government passed a resolution opposing the current draft of the agreement. It states that it raises concerns for Polish farmers and food security in the country. Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, deputy head of government and leader of the co-governing Farmers' Party, said that his country was already working to gather enough votes within the EU to prevent the agreement from coming into force.

EU Commission now wants to conclude agreement
The majority of Austrian politicians have always been critical of the agreement and there has been a parliamentary resolution against it for years now. Talks on the agreement have been ongoing for 25 years and a final agreement has been in place since 2019, but has not yet been ratified. In addition to concerns from European farmers, critics also cite the ongoing deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. According to Brussels, however, the agreement could conceivably be signed at the summit of the Mercosur states Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia at the beginning of December.