Macron: Milei ‘not satisfied’ with Mercosur trade deal either

France is battling hard to stall talks between the EU and the South American trading bloc.

Nov 18, 2024 - 09:00

RIO DE JANEIRO — French President Emmanuel Macron slammed the Mercosur trade deal again on Sunday after meeting with Argentinian President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires.

Macron has struggled to find enough support among European Union countries to block the deal and now appears to be looking further afield for allies in his mission to derail the trade pact.

Macron told reporters in Buenos Aires that the EU-Mercosur agreement is “a bad deal” that would be “very harmful for Argentina’s reindustrialization” and “harmful for our farmers.”

“I will say this simply, we cannot ask our farmers in Europe … to change their practices, to not use certain products and develop quality farming and, at the same time, open our markets to massive imports,” he said.

The French president is on a whirlwind tour of South America that takes him to Argentina, Chile and Brazil, where Luis Inácio Lula da Silva is hosting a G20 summit on Monday and Tuesday.

Mercosur was long expected to be a focus of his trip, as France is firmly opposed to the mega trade deal between the EU and the South American bloc that is expected to be finalized as early as next month.

Macron reported that Milei had responded to his arguments against the pact. “Milei said he was not satisfied with the deal and that he was not satisfied with the way Mercosur worked,” he claimed.

“We haven’t reached a deal if different parties are still asking for [improvements].”

Even as farmers protest, France will find it hard to block a deal negotiators have been working on for over 20 years. | Michal Cizek/Getty Images

The French president is under pressure to show he is fighting for the interests of French farmers, with farmer unions planning a day of protests on Monday against the trade deal.

But even as farmers rally, France will find it hard to block a deal negotiators have been working on for over 20 years. As reported by POLITICO, the EU and Mercosur countries are aiming to conclude their talks in early December.

The French president, however, said he was confident that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would listen to France’s concerns. “Ursula von der Leyen has a great respect for France’s voice. We just want a fair deal and we continue to work together,” he said.