The French National Assembly adopted a resolution regarding the agreement between the EU and the Mercosur bloc, urging the government in Paris to create a blocking minority within the Union to oppose the agreement and to refer the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union. Macron was accused of changing his stance on the agreement, even though the agreement itself has not changed in the slightest.
The resolution was adopted almost unanimously – 244 deputies voted in favor, and one was against. The resolution is not binding, but – as the newspaper Le Figaro emphasized – it nevertheless exerts pressure on the executive branch and sends a signal to President Emmanuel Macron, who in recent times seems to be leaning toward the Mercosur agreement.
During the debate, Deputy Matthias Tavel criticized the head of state for this shift in position. He recalled that “less than a year ago Emmanuel Macron described this agreement as unacceptable”, and today “he declares that everything is moving in the right direction”, even though the draft agreement “hasn’t changed a single word.” On the other side of the political spectrum, Deputy Julien Limongi of the right-wing National Rally (RN) accused the president of preparing to deliver the “final blow” to French agriculture.
Eric Martineau from the centrist Democratic Movement (MoDem), part of the presidential camp, argued that despite “some progress”, the EU-Mercosur agreement in its current form does not meet the demands expressed in parliament.
Since the vote on the resolution, only deputies from Macron’s party – Renaissance, led in parliament by former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal – abstained in the governing camp.
The European Commission adopted the trade agreement with the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) at the beginning of September. In response to concerns from the agricultural sector, it announced a so-called safety brake in case of product surpluses and the possibility of compensation. Nevertheless, the agreement continues to spark controversy in EU countries.