PARIS, Jan 8 (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France would vote against the signing of the free trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc of South American nations on Friday.
Macron said on social media platform X that there had been a unanimous political rejection of the agreement in France despite “significant concessions” for farmers in the European Union.
“The signing of the agreement is not the end of the story. I will continue to fight for the full implementation of the commitments obtained from the European Commission and to protect our farmers.”
Ireland will also vote against the agreement, its deputy prime minister Simon Harris said earlier.
But as the European Commission has secured the support of Italy, the agreement is likely to be adopted during Friday’s vote.
During the day, French farmers blockaded roads into Paris and landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe with tractors in protest against the EU-Mercosur deal.
(Reporting by Michel Rose, writing by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)
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