EU bets on Mercosur as geopolitics clash with eurosceptic backlash
Euronews.com • • world
Key Points:
- The EU-Mercosur trade agreement, signed by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the EU, aims to strengthen the EU's geostrategic position and create a transatlantic free-trade zone, but it has revealed significant political divisions within the EU, notably with France opposing the deal.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the agreement as a historic achievement after 25 years of negotiations, emphasizing its long-term benefits and the EU's preference for fair trade over tariffs.
- France, along with Poland, Hungary, Ireland, and Austria, opposed the deal, citing concerns over unfair competition for EU farmers and limited economic gains; French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the agreement's minimal GDP impact and slow tariff reductions on key
