France’s Assemblée Nationale approved on Tuesday evening the government’s declaration opposing the signing of a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, a bloc of five Latin American countries, in its current form. The declaration passed with 484 votes in favor and 70 against. The government did not achieve the unanimity it had hoped for.
It was the radical left-wing party, La France Insoumise (LFI), that broke ranks by voting against the declaration, arguing that the government opposes the treaty only “as it stands.” “There is no such thing as a good Mercosur agreement,” said LFI lawmaker Arnaud Le Gall. Indeed, Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard and Foreign Trade Minister Sophie Primas did not take an anti-free-trade stance. Like the French president and the prime minister, they are hoping for the inclusion of “mirror clauses” in the draft agreement, which would require Mercosur producers to meet the same standards imposed on their European counterparts.
Read more EU-Mercosur: Why the French have opposed this free trade agreement
As expected, during the substantive debate, everyone stuck to their guns: The left opposed the agreement on social and environmental grounds; the far right, primarily for sovereignty-related reasons; and the presidential coalition, while opposing the agreement, emphasized that they did not reject free trade on principle.
‘We want to fight this battle with you!’
But Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s goal on Tuesday was to secure a vote as close to unanimity as possible from the Assemblée Nationale to strengthen France’s position, which has so far been relatively isolated within the European Union. The two ministers made significant efforts in this regard: “We want to fight this battle with you! That is the whole point of tonight’s vote,” said the agriculture minister. “Your constant mobilization has already made an impression, and it must continue with strength. You, along with us, are the key players in this fight toward your counterparts in all European countries and of all persuasions,” added the minister for foreign trade.
The left remained highly distrustful of a government whose sincerity it doubts. “I’m not convinced that France will go so far as to block this agreement. Is it prepared to use its veto at the European Council?” asked Communist parliamentary leader André Chassaigne. Socialist MP Mélanie Thomin limited herself to posing a few rhetorical questions: “Are we just here for show? Is this a genuine democratic effort to unite against Mercosur, or are we merely providing cover for a government struggling to secure a majority?”
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Publish date : 2024-11-26 23:52:00
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