Macron strikes back: unloaded from the Leyen at emergency-lady opening!

Macron strikes back: unloaded from the Leyen at emergency-lady opening!

In a dramatic political turning point, the foreseeable solution to the controversial Mercosur agreement between the European Union and South America Mercosur countries could be on the brink. While EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Uruguay takes part in a summit with leading politicians from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, France President Emmanuel Macron is visibly upset about the course of the negotiations. Accordingly, he is said to have even unloaded from the Leyen from the ceremonial reopening of the Cathedral Notre-Dame in Paris, which is considered a direct reaction to their support for the agreement, despite the French veto against the agreement.
According to the information from Exxpress.at Cheap agricultural products from South America allowed. France's government, at the forefront of Macron, sees the risk that an oversupply of cheap meat and other agricultural products flood the European markets and thus significantly damages domestic agriculture. Nevertheless, the Leyen gave the impression that a breakthrough of the agreement is in sight, which turns out to be more difficult than expected, as Barrons.com reports.

resistance in the EU

The negotiations on the Mercosur Agreement, which has been discussed since 1999, affect increasing resistance within the EU. In addition to France, Italy, Poland and other countries also reject the agreement, which carries the danger that the entire deal will be blocked. Originally intended as one of the largest free trade zones in the world, the agreement aims to reduce tariffs and create a market with over 700 million consumers. But the concerns about environmental and work standards in the affected countries, in particular Brazil, strain the conversations and give the impression that Leyen's hopes of achieving an early conclusion could be increasingly endangered.

The tensions between the Leyen and Macron not only illustrate the challenges in the field of agriculture and international trade, but also put pressure on diplomatic relationships between the EU and one of its largest Member States. According to the rumors, the Leyen was not on the guest list for the opening ceremony of Notre-Dame from the start, which the speculation fueled that Macron wanted to counteract a participation of her. The already tense relationships between the EU and France are faced with a new test, while both sides continue to struggle with a consensus on the controversial trade agreement.