At the G20 summit at Rio de Janeiro, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the urgency to the European Union to conclude its lengthy trade talks in the South American Mercosur bloc. Scholz’s demand for action is in contrast with French Macron’s attempts to put off the negotiations and cite concerns about the implications for French agriculture.

Brazilian officials who attended, such as the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Carlos Favaro who expressed confidence in this agreement’s advantages for Brazil as well as the EU and emphasized the closeness to a solution. Scholz was critical of the lengthy discussion process and urged the agreement to be a crucial improvement for the EU’s trade standing and German’s export-oriented economic.

Despite attempts by Macron to get the support of Argentina’s president Javier Milei to impede the agreement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is planning to move towards completing the agreement within the next month. Macron has faced opposition in France of French agriculturalists, called the plan as unsustainable and promised that von der Leyen will never move ahead without France’s support in pursuit of the approval of France to ensure a “fair agreement.”

Source: POLITICO