EU-Mercosur deal sparks outrage among French politicians, farmers

Florian Philippot, leader of the French right-wing party Les Patriotes, has sharply criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for her statement regarding plans for a trade agreement between the European Union and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) countries.

Philippot wrote on social media platform X that “Ursula von der Leyen spat in the face of the French and French farmers,” signaling strong opposition from parts of France’s political and agricultural sectors, Caliber.Az reports.

Provocation incroyable ! (cf vidéo ⤵️)

Ursula Von der Leyen vient de cracher comme jamais au visage des Français et des paysans !

« Nous allons signer ce samedi l’accord Mercosur au Paraguay ! »

« Nous écrirons l’Histoire ! »

« Mais notre ambition va plus loin ! »

« Nous… pic.twitter.com/eLKrTUEWf4

— Florian Philippot (@f_philippot) January 16, 2026

Von der Leyen is scheduled to visit Paraguay on January 17 to personally participate in the signing of the contentious free trade agreement with Mercosur nations, including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Earlier, European Council President António Costa confirmed that EU member states had approved the agreement despite protests and disagreements from farming communities across Europe.

However, COPA, the European organization representing farmers and agricultural cooperatives, stressed that even with modifications to protective measures, EU agricultural associations maintain a unified critical stance toward the trade deal.

Philippot has also previously argued that, in his view, exiting the European Union is the only effective way to safeguard France’s national agricultural sector.

By Vafa Guliyeva