Mercosur agreement: deputies voted for the rejection of the trade agreement, not Elisabeth Borne who pressed the wrong button

MEPs voted by a large majority on Tuesday against the free trade agreement as currently negotiated between the European Union and the South American single market Mercosur, a symbolic vote but on which the government intends to rely to defend its opposition to its European partners.

THE MEPs largely approved by 484 votes for, 70 votes againsta government statement that the pact does not currently guarantee “fair conditions of competition” for French farmers. The project is rejected by all political groups, but differently. The elected representatives of La France insoumise and the ecologists voted “against” the government's text, because they reject any principle of agreement.

Quack in this vote, which is however without consequence, Elisabeth Borne voted “against”. She is the only one in her group “Together for the Republic” as indicated on the National Assembly website which specifies that it was a mistake made by the former Prime Minister who wanted to vote “for” like her colleagues.

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Negotiations between Brussels and Mercosur were launched in the early 2000s and the European executive hopes to finalize them by the end of the year. France is opposed to the text, believing that as it stands it would be detrimental to French farmers, but cannot on its own block the conclusion of an agreement. “The production of Mercosur countries does not allow us to guarantee either compliance with European standards for imported foodstuffs as we envisage it in Europe, nor the establishment of fair conditions of competition for our farmers”declared Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard in the National Assembly before the vote of the deputies. “Faced with the prospect of ratification of this agreement, let us send a clear message to our partners”she added, ensuring that a “transpartisan agreement against the signing of this agreement, as the Commission envisages it, would have great political force”.

Earlier today, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the Poland also opposed the free trade agreement with Mercosur in its current form. “It’s a magnificent signal to which we too must contribute,” reacted Annie Genevard to the deputies. Senators are also called on Wednesday to vote on the free trade agreement with Mercosur.