French farmers force Senate to reject EU Mercosur deal (VIDEO)
For the second week of protests, French farmers have won a major victory. The Senate voted down the free trade agreement between the European Union and South America's „Mercosur“. A similar vote was taken in the National Assembly, which also rejected the agreement. According to the farmers, this agreement, if implemented, will have disastrous competitive consequences for Europeans.
The near-unanimous vote of the National Assembly and the Senate is a rare example of political consensus in a politically divided France.
A free trade deal between the 27-member European Union and the &bquo;Mercosur“ countries of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay was agreed in 2019, but ratification of the treaty has been held up by the need for individual countries to approve it.
France says the free trade deal will cripple its agricultural sector, and farmers took to the streets again last week to voice their opposition, saying the agreement will lead to unfair competition.
On Thursday alone, farmers blocked the roads in Strasbourg with around 100 tractors. Several thousand more farmers protested in Nantes and other French cities.
Farmers in France, Poland and Italy are the most vocal in their protests against the Mercosur agreement. They have been joined by the Germans.
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