LIVE – Mercosur: the French political class denounces a “stab in the back” from the European Commission

The Government Spokesperson, Maud Bergeron, denounces on X a “major blow to the bond of trust between the French and Europe”. An agreement between the Commission and Mercosur “in defiance of our agricultural sovereignty and environmental requirements”, she further denounces, affirming that “the standoff with the Commission must be maintained more than ever”.

In her speech announcing the agreement between Europe and Mercosur, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed this “historic step”. We have concluded the negotiations for the EU-Mercosur agreement. This is the start of a new story. I am now looking forward to discussing it with European countries,” wrote Ursula von der Leyen on X, during a joint press conference with the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, to announce the agreement concluded after 25 years of discussions.

For his part, Gabriel Attal attributes the conclusion of the agreement between Europe and Mercosur to the weakening of French power. “I said it on Wednesday before the National Assembly: destabilized for lack of a stable government, France could see its influence weakened to oppose Mercosur. This risk is becoming reality”, assures the deputy of Hauts-de- Seine and president of the Ensemble pour la République group in the National Assembly.

“For lack of government, the negotiations were rushed on Wednesday evening and were successful today. Today, our farmers therefore risk paying the price for the fall of the government, through your fault,” he said in a statement. message on X in response to the reaction of Marine le Pen who denounced a “stab in the back”.

On the left too, elected officials denounce the agreement between the EU and Mercosur. “A stab in the back of farmers,” denounces Manon Aubry, LFI MEP. “A danger for our health. An ecological disaster”, she judges again before denouncing “an absolute shame”.

On Twitter, Marine Le Pen also denounces the agreement concluded by the European Commission with Mercosur. She believes that the institution “wipes its feet on the sovereign vote of deputies” and “imposes its diktat”. “This stab in the back of the French people is an unprecedented threat against our democracy.”

The NGO Greenpeace today denounces the agreement finalized this morning between the European Commission and Mercosur. “For Greenpeace, the European Commission justifies the finalization of the agreement by, among other things, the integration of measures or commitments linked to environmental protection. For Greenpeace, no environmental measure is sufficient to justify it adoption: this agreement is a real time bomb for the climate, biodiversity, European and South American farmers and human rights,” denounces the NGO in a press release.

“This agreement is not compatible with the objectives of combating climate change and deforestation,” says Eric Moranval, Forests campaigner at Greenpeace France. Furthermore, it poses serious threats to European agriculture: it is scandalous to sacrifice it like this, under the pretext of a text sprinkled with environmental measures.”

The free trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries sends a “catastrophic message to millions of European farmers”, reacted the European organization of majority agricultural unions, Copa-Cogeca, today. The organization calls on “member states and the European Parliament to mobilize against this agreement”, which “will exacerbate the economic pressures to which many farms are subject”.

The majority French agricultural union alliance FNSEA-Young Farmers (JA) estimated Friday that the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen had “betrayed European farmers” by announcing the conclusion of the free trade agreement with countries of Mercosur.

“This validation is not only a provocation for European farmers who apply the highest production standards in the world, but also a denial of democracy when the almost unanimity of our French parliamentarians spoke out against this agreement,” say the organizations in a press release. For them, “Von der Leyen betrays European farmers”.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed on Friday the conclusion of negotiations on the trade agreement between the Mercosur countries and the EU which will bring “more growth and competitiveness”.

“The political agreement between the Mercosur countries and the EU is there. An important obstacle has been removed,” the chancellor wrote on growth and competitiveness,” he added.

The announcement of an agreement by the European Commission between the countries of the European Union and those of Mercosur on a trade treaty “is only binding on it”, commented on Friday the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade who has resigned from France, Sophie Primas.

“Today is clearly not the end of the story. What is happening in Montevideo is not a signing of the agreement but simply the political conclusion of the negotiation. This only involves the Commission, not the member states,” said the minister in a statement sent to AFP, adding that “the Commission takes its responsibilities as negotiator, but that is only its responsibility.”

The European Commission listened to “the concerns” of the European agricultural sector and had introduced “guarantees” into the trade treaty between European countries and those of Mercosur, said its president Ursula von der Leyen on Friday in Montevideo.

“This is an agreement that will benefit both” parties and “bring significant benefits to consumers and businesses” if approved, she said. “We are listening to the concerns of our farmers and we are acting accordingly. This agreement includes strong guarantees to protect our livelihoods,” she added during a joint press conference with the presidents of Argentina, of Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay to announce the agreement reached after 25 years of discussions.

Mercosur and the European Union have concluded “negotiations with a view to an agreement” on free trade, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced on Friday in Montevideo.

“We have concluded the negotiations for the EU-Mercosur agreement. This is the start of a new story. I am now looking forward to discussing it with European countries,” Ms von der Leyen wrote on X, during a joint press conference with the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay to announce the agreement reached after 25 years of discussions.