A farmer holds a French flag in front of the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris during a protest against the Mercosur trade deal, January 8, 2026. ALAIN JOCARD / AFP
President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, January 8, that France would vote against the European Union's trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur, a day before member states were to cast ballots on a final go-ahead.
"France will vote against signing the agreement," he said on X, calling it a deal "from another era" after French farmers earlier in the day rolled into Paris on their tractors to protest against it. The decision came after "unanimous political rejection" of the agreement in French parliament, Macron added, despite what he called "undeniable progress" on its contents.
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EU-Mercosur deal set to be signed, with or without France's support
