French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated his opposition to the EU-Mercosur trade agreement on Thursday, despite calls from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to finalise the deal during a state visit to Paris.
Lula appealed for progress, describing the pact between the EU and South America’s Mercosur bloc—Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay—as a key response to rising global protectionism. “Open your heart a little to this opportunity,” he told Macron.
But Macron defended France’s long-standing reservations, warning of unfair competition for European farmers. He pointed to the gap in environmental standards and questioned the logic of imposing stricter rules on local producers while opening markets to goods from countries with lower regulations.
“We will completely destroy our agriculture,” Macron warned, saying the deal in its current form risks undermining both climate goals and rural livelihoods.
While countries like Germany, Spain, and Portugal back the agreement, France remains a major holdout. Farmers across Europe fear being undercut.
For the deal to move forward, it must be approved by at least 15 of the 27 EU member states, representing 65% of the bloc’s population.
