German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stands in front of an Onox1 electric tractor as he delivers a statement at the end of his tour at the Grüne Woche (‘Green Week’) International Agriculture Fair in Berlin on January 20, 2026.
John MacDougall / AFP
Officials give off the sense that they fear the agreement could still be totally foiled.
Mainstream figures could not contain their anger about Wednesday’s victory of the pro-European farmer movement, and have insisted that Brussels’ free trade agreement with Mercosur is applied immediately, anyway.
The European Parliament narrowly voted to refer the deal, which will open the continental market to agri-food products produced under standards far below those required within the Union, to the EU’s Court of Justice, delaying its ratification possibly by months.
Venting his frustration on social media, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this “regrettable” decision “misjudges the geopolitical situation” and stressed there should be “no more delays.” He added, in classic Brusselian style when votes do not go the way of the establishment, that “the agreement must now be applied provisionally”—that is, must be brought into force immediately, before the Court of Justice has had even the chance to assess the deal’s legality.
Die Entscheidung des Europäischen Parlaments zum Mercosur-Abkommen ist bedauerlich. Sie verkennt die geopolitische Lage. Von der Rechtmäßigkeit des Abkommens sind wir überzeugt. Keine weiteren Verzögerungen mehr. Das Abkommen muss jetzt vorläufig angewandt werden.
— Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz (@bundeskanzler) January 21, 2026
Using similar language, again accusing the pro-farmer coalition of “not [grasping[ the seriousness of the situation,” former German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir expressed the need for Europe to “grow up” and called on Commission President Ursula von der Leyen effectively to ignore this set back—the apply the deal now because “it has been well negotiated, and Europe needs the Mercosur agreement for the future more than ever.”
Offensichtlich haben noch immer zu viele den Ernst der Lage nicht verstanden. Europäische Souveränität muss sich im konkreten Handeln beweisen, die Zeit für wohlfeile Lippenbekenntnisse ist vorbei. #Mercosur (1/3)
Berlin’s establishment figures have been particularly vocal against this delay since they have been the chief backers of the deal. But they have not been alone in complaining about the wait.
Left-liberal Italian MEP (Azione/Renew Europe) Carlo Calenda bashed the “idiocy of the vote,” saying it “shows that self-harm is our main enemy” and even suggesting that not tying itself to Mercosur will “cripple Europe.”
The European Parliament’s Socialists group also said that it will “continue to work towards making the EU-Mercosur agreement a reality and diversifying commercial ties across the globe” to bring about what it described as a “much needed economic win-win for people in both the EU and Mercosur countries.”
Soros apologist Italian European Union Law professor Alberto Alemanno later noted that critics will continue to try to bring the deal down, but “make no mistake:
The EU Parliament’s vote to refer Mercosur … for a legal opinion isn’t tantamount to a negative vote, nor [does it stop] its provisional application. Instead this request may increase the chances to see the provisional application.
The establishment will always ensure that it gets its way.
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
