While the fall of the government weakens France on a European scale, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Layen arrived in Uruguay to put an end to 20 years of negotiations and sign the free trade agreement with the Mercosur. On RMC, Marine Tondelier says she is “disgusted” and points to Emmanuel Macron's responsibility.
Brussels wants to put an end to the controversial free trade agreement with Mercosur this Friday. Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, landed this Thursday in Uruguay, in Montevideo, to meet the countries of South America and end the negotiations. She is determined to close this 20-year-old file, which has become explosive in recent months with the anger of French farmers and Emmanuel Macron's change of heart. Indeed, by telephone call Thursday morning, the President of the Republic “reiterated” that a signature is “unacceptable as it stands”.
But France could well have its arm twisted by Brussels. The finish line of an agreement is in sight, recalled Ursula von der Leyen. French diplomats may warn Brussels and reaffirm that France can still do well, in fact, with censorship, the country is increasingly weakened with these partners, according to the Europe specialist. Patrick Martin-Genier.
“Of course this is an aggravating element for France. In Brussels, we no longer understand what is happening in France and Ursula von der Leyen will push her pawns, particularly for Germany. It is obviously Germany which is pushing for this agreement to be signed as quickly as possible,” he explains.
It is therefore unlikely that the head of the European Commission will take into account Emmanuel Macron's last chance phone call this Thursday, to reiterate his opposition and remind him that the agreement would condemn the farmers.
“What a snub for Emmanuel Macron”
Invited this Friday on RMC, the ecologist Marine Tondelier, sees it above all as a failure of Emmanuel Macron and his political allies.
“It’s scandalous. What a snub for Emmanuel Macron and his diplomacy, she believes. This is an issue that we have been fighting for years. From the beginning, environmentalists have been alongside farmers to fight this Mercosur like the following treaties, since José Bové in Seattle. And when we see that the political chaos they are causing in France allows their so-called European allies to walk all over them, because that is what is happening, it is a snub for them. They no longer make anyone respect them. This was already the case in France and we now see that it is also the case in Europe. France has lost all its power, all its splendor on the international level and no longer weighs on anything. And it is French farmers who will pay the price. I'm disgusted.”
Other levers still exist to slow down the project that Ursula van der Leyen will bring back from Uruguay to the European Council and the Parliament in Brussels. The two bodies will have their say in the coming months to sign and ratify the text. But France still seems too isolated to really derail the agreement.
Guillaume Descours with Nicolas Traino
