many actions until Thursday, a decisive vote in the Assembly on Mercosur?

21:25 – MEPs mainly oppose the Mercosur agreement

During a purely consultative vote organized at the Palais Bourbon on Tuesday evening, deputies largely voted against the Mercosur agreement. In detail, 484 of them voted for the government’s declaration “against the signing of this agreement as the European Commission envisages it”, and only 70 deputies spoke out against.

20:49 – Farmers “know that they can count on me”, assures Michel Barnier

On the set of 8 p.m. on TF1 on Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister assured that he wanted to keep his promises made to farmers, pointing out the responsibility that the opposition will have on this point in the event of censorship from the government. If the government falls, “we will have to resume discussions, there will be a fairly serious storm on the financial markets. […] Everything stops[ra] pendant [un] time”, he warned, taking the example of farmers: “They know they can count on me. I am keeping the commitments. We support them, we do what they ask for years. All this would stop” if there was censorship.

18:58 – Rural Coordination ready to “stay all night” in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier (Isère)

In Saint-Quentin-Fallavier (Isère), farmers from Rural Coordination are still present near the Lidl base. In the columns of Dauphiné Libéréthe treasurer of the Rural Coordination of Isère Jean-Marie Sauge said he was open to discussion with the State representative if the latter came to visit them on site. As a reminder, the sub-prefect went to La Tour-du-Pin this Tuesday for a meeting with the FDSEA. “Otherwise, we could stay all night,” he warned.

18:40 – An exit from the A9 blocked near Perpignan

Farmers gathered at the southern toll gate of Perpignan. On the A9, exit 42 is prohibited for all vehicles. “The southern toll roundabout is blocked by farmers. The secondary network is disrupted due to a demonstration in the sector,” specifies The independent. Pallets, tires and rolls of PVC were dumped on the roundabout.

18:13 – The Minister of Foreign Trade criticizes the EU-Mercosur agreement

“This agreement is in complete disagreement with the challenges of our time (…) We cannot, in terms of trade policy, bring in lower priced, more competitive products, because they are less standardized,” asserts Sophie Primas, Minister delegate in charge of Foreign Trade, before the deputies of the National Assembly.

17:51 – In Gers, a Danone factory occupied by Rural Coordination

The second agricultural union in France, Rural Coordination, this afternoon occupies the entrance to the Danone factory in Villecomtal-sur-Arros in Gers, a village of 800 inhabitants located southwest of Auch, the prefecture of department. The farmers present on site dumped several skips in front of the plant-based milk production site to express their anger. “Around fifteen tractors arrived in front of the Danone factory at 2:15 p.m.,” explains La Dépêche du Midi.

17:24 – “Agriculture should never be an adjustment variable”, assures Annie Genevard

“The deal as the EU envisages it is not acceptable.” The government is firmly and “resolutely” opposed to it. “Agriculture should never be an adjustment variable” at the European level, indicated the Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, this Tuesday, November 26 before the National Assembly. “For too many years, the agricultural world has been caught in a vice, almost suffocated by contradictory injunctions, of which the agreement negotiated with Mercosur as envisaged by the Commission is the emblem (…) farmers have the feeling “that we ask them to forcefully change their practices, while promoting imports of products that do not meet their standards,” she continues.

16:57 – A shock action by the Peasant Confederation in Dordogne

In Dordogne, the Peasant Confederation is carrying out a shock action in front of the department’s chamber of agriculture. Pairs of boots – symbolizing farmers who died due to lack of income – were placed in front of the building. “We are full of free trade,” says François Soulard, spokesperson for the Confédération paysanne en Dordogne union, with Sud Ouest. A motion of censure will be filed by the union against the free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur.

16:23 – How can France cause the EU-Mercosur agreement to fail?

A massive vote by MPs against the EU-Mercosur agreement would allow France to build a more solid case ahead of discussions with the European Commission, negotiations for which should take place in the coming months.

To defeat the ratification of the agreement, France must bring together four European countries with sufficiently high population density to prevent its supporters from reaching 65% of the population. If this is not the case, the qualified majority will adopt the text which will pass into the hands of the European deputies. With their approval, the agreement will be generalized to the entire EU. For the moment, in addition to Italy and Poland, Austria and Ireland could also join the counter camp, but still have reservations.

15:57 – In Europe, France is not alone against the Mercosur agreement

The French government, which opposes the signing of the agreement, ensures that the construction of a blocking minority in the EU-Mercosur agreement is progressing in Europe. Italy and Poland notably joined France against the ratification of the treaty.

15:55 – MEPs debate Mercosur

The National Assembly must vote this Tuesday on the treaty with Mercosur. This discussion between parliamentarians, organized under article 50-1 of the Constitution, allows the government, on its own initiative or at the request of a parliamentary group, to make a declaration on a subject determined in advance. The deputies are then brought to debate, and in certain cases – like this one – to vote.

At the origin of this proposal is the Minister responsible for Relations with Parliament, Natalie Delattre. Maud Bregeon, government spokesperson, said that Michel Barnier supported the initiative: “It is legitimate that the National Assembly can express itself on the issue,” she declared on TF1.

15:41 – Marc Fesneau categorical before the vote: “we do not want Mercosur as we have it before our eyes”

Instead of “dividing the country and giving the image to Madame Von Der Leyen that the country is disunited (…) we can at least agree on the idea that we do not want Mercosur as it is. we have it before our eyes”, insisted the MoDem group leader and former Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau this Tuesday, before the vote in the National Assembly on the treaty between the EU and Mercosur. Otherwise, “it will be able to rush into it and in the end, there will be Mercosur”, he warns.

15:13 – Dumping operation in progress in front of the MSA in Perpignan

Farmers from the Eastern Pyrenees headed to the Mutualité sociale agricole, after stopping at the prefecture. Several bins of plants were dumped by the farmers present on site, just in front of the MSA of Perpignan, as can be seen in these images of The Independent :

14:48 – The FNSEA and the JA in front of the Water Agency in Rouen

Members of the Young Farmers of Normandy (JA) union gathered in front of the Water Agency in Rouen to demand regulatory simplification of their practices. They are accompanied by members of the FNSEA of Seine-Maritime. In total, sixty farmers are present to protest.

2:24 p.m. – Around a hundred tractors expected in Lille

This Tuesday, around a hundred tractors should head towards Lille to express their anger and make their demands heard. Until now, in the North, the agricultural world had used banners and broadcast messages, it now intends to move up a gear. The convoy should reach the administrative city of the capital of Flanders.