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politics1d ago
How France failed to stop the Mercosur deal
- France failed to stop or water down the EU-Mercosur trade deal as the Commission moved toward approval, despite Paris’s objections.
- Macron dissolved the National Assembly and scheduled elections, weakening France’s leverage in EU talks.
- France faced a rotating slate of four foreign trade ministers in 2024, undermining coalition-building.
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s stance shifted, complicating efforts to block the deal.
- Trump’s tariff announcement in 2025 reduced French leverage by shrinking potential EU alliances against Mercosur.
- A former minister cited Bayrou’s fall as a shock that deepened political instability and diminished France’s voice.
- Some officials believed Macron should have pitched the Mercosur deal as an economic opportunity rather than a fight.
- Von der Leyen’s assessment of the French threat changed as the year progressed, enabling signing of the deal.
- The article notes a broader context of strategic shifts and domestic instability affecting EU trade diplomacy.
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