A large part of the political class once again insisted on Friday that the trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries should be "rejected", expressing indignation at the "positive" remarks of Emmanuel Macron from Mexico. The latter had to defend himself, ensuring that he remained “vigilant” and waited for “clear answers”.

Published on: 07/11/2025 - 22:08

On the left as on the right, a large part of the political class once again insisted on Friday November 7 that the trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries should be "rejected", expressing indignation at the "positive" remarks of Emmanuel Macron who assured from Mexico of his "vigilance".

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“This agreement finalized in opacity and directly attacking the interests of French agriculture must be rejected,” declared Marine Le Pen, the boss of the RN sur X deputies.

“After industry, it is now our agriculture that (the Head of State, Editor’s note) agrees to sell off,” criticized the boss of the Republicans, Bruno Retailleau, on the same social network.

Emmanuel Macron said Thursday he was "rather positive" about the possibility of accepting the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur countries, thanks to the safeguard clauses obtained by France, even if he said he remained "vigilant".

A line that he clarified in the evening, during a press conference in Mexico. “We have started to be heard by the European Commission, which is why I was able to say that I was more positive when it presented a new element compared to the initial agreement with a robust agricultural safeguard clause,” said the French president.

"But I remain vigilant, as I also told you yesterday, because I defend France's interests and we continue to fight", "France continues to wait for clear answers", he insisted.

To (re)seeFrance says it is using “all means” to block the treaty between the EU and Mercosur

"Lunar" declaration

His comments had sowed trouble even in the executive, since the Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard (LR) declared on Friday that the guarantees to protect French farmers were not sufficient.

“Such a discredited president should keep quiet and let Parliament decide!”, said PCF national secretary Fabien Roussel on X.

The head of the Ecologists Marine Tondelier was also moved by this “lunar” declaration. “After promising with his hand on his heart that he would protect French agriculture from Mercosur, here he is abandoning it to unbridled competition with unacceptable standards. Even his Minister of Agriculture is against it,” she quipped.

“Emmanuel Macron is signing the death warrant for French agriculture,” rebellious MEP Manon Aubry lamented on CNews/Europe1, criticizing the “unheard of and scandalous reversal” of the head of state, who “said he was going to oppose this free trade agreement.”

She recalled having initiated “an appeal before the Court of Justice” of the European Union, which if passed, “will suspend the examination of this agreement”.

“It’s the renunciation of our peasants”

For the leader of the socialist deputies Boris Vallaud, the president commits "a mistake" by preparing "to say yes", while "the Parliament said no. The French reject it". The agreement with Mercosur “is the renunciation of our farmers, our agricultural model and our climate commitments,” he warns.

“It’s a betrayal that you are preparing,” also accused MP François Ruffin, who sits on the environmental group, by calling on Emmanuel Macron.

"What did you get, though? Nothing. No 'mirror clause' in the agreement. On the contrary: a poorly named so-called 'rebalancing' mechanism has been added", he underlined, "which in truth adds an additional imbalance: that Europe raises its standards, and the Mercosur States will be able to claim a loss!", he insisted.

With AFP

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