Macron announces that France will vote “against” the EU-Mercosur agreement

Paris – Despite “undeniable progress” for which “credit must be given to the European Commission,” “it must be acknowledged that there is unanimous political rejection of the agreement, as was clearly shown by the recent debates in the National Assembly and the Senate,” said the French head of state in a statement.

“The signing of the agreement is not the end of the story. I will continue to fight for the full and concrete implementation of the commitments obtained from the European Commission and to protect our farmers,” he assured.

This decision adds to the opposition of Ireland, Poland and Hungary, but should not, however, prevent the European Commission from obtaining the green light from a majority of member states during this qualified majority vote on Friday in Brussels.

According to Emmanuel Macron, who is also facing pressure from farmers who demonstrated in Paris on Thursday, “France is in favor of international trade, but the EU-Mercosur agreement is an agreement from another age, negotiated for too long on overly outdated foundations.” (8 January 2026)