A new trade deal between EU and South America has sparked division between members of the bloc as French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly hopes Italy’s leader, Giorgia Meloni, joins him in resisting the pact.
On December 6, after around 25 years of talks, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen finalised the deal with the leaders of the Mercosur bloc of countries, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The agreement creates a common market of nearly 800 million people – which is the equivalent of a fifth of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).
But the accord has not proven to be universally popular.
Tens of thousands of Spanish farmers protested in Madrid on Monday, Euractiv reports, who say the deal creates unfair competition between Europe and South America.
Miguel Padilla, the secretary general of COAG, one of Spain’s main farmer’s organisations, claims the country’s farmers will not be able to compete with those in the Mercosur bloc.
This is because production costs there are much lower than in the EU, he said.
Mr Padilla told Spanish public radio RNE: “The EU’s [phytosanitary] regulations are the strictest in the world: environmentally, socially and in terms of the raw materials that can be used. There is no such legislation in those [Mercosur] countries. »
He added: “We do not understand how this agreement can be described as positive [by Brussels and the Spanish government] for a sector such as agriculture.
« To call it positive that four countries [four Mercosur members and Bolivia] are going to compete with us is nonsense.”
Politico reports that the French President Emmanuel Macron has also been questioning the agreement, fighting a « crucade » against it.
To help, he has considered aid from Italy’s President, Giorgia Meloni.
This is because, in recent weeks, leaders in her right-wing government have started to question the accord and expressing concern that the country’s farmers could be hurt.
However, recruiting Ms Meloni may prove tricky, it has been said, because it is said to be in her interest to keep the Italian farm lobby quiet and please her right-wing, trade-skeptic base at the same time.
In addition, the Italian leader apparently wants to fuel uncertainty around her stance because the Italian premier benefits from her status as the trade agreements « kingmaker » in Brussels.
