Lengthy-standing opposition from France, Poland and Italy, the place farming constituencies are influential, has turned the deal right into a take a look at of Brussels’ capability to rally allies overseas whereas holding collectively a deeply divided bloc.
“Mercosur performs a central function in our commerce agreements,” stated European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen on her approach into the leaders summit on Thursday morning, including it was “of monumental significance we get the inexperienced mild.”
But Meloni derailed the rigorously laid plan.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated the Italian chief promised him on a name Thursday that she would assist the deal as quickly as she secured the backing of Italy’s farmers. Regardless of heaping stress on Europeans in current days, Lula ended up accepting the delay, the diplomats stated.
Meloni’s pushback meant there was not sufficient backing from EU international locations for von der Leyen to fly to Brazil this weekend to signal the deal as deliberate — regardless of the large political capital invested on all sides in attempting to finalize it by the top earlier than Christmas.
Even when Rome and Paris come round, the settlement’s troubles are removed from over: The deal should nonetheless move by way of the European Parliament, the place opposition is mounting throughout the political spectrum.
