European Parliament decided to mention the European Union trade agreement with the Mercosur States to the Court of Justice of the European Union (TEU). The proposal passed by a minimum majority, which means that ratification of the agreement will be delayed by at least a fewer months and, according to any forecasts, by up to 2 years. The decision sparked political repercussions not only in Brussels, but besides in Warsaw and Berlin, where it rapidly became a media dispute between PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński and German Chancellor Friedrich Merzem.
Mercosur Agreement addressed to the TEU. On Wednesday, MEPs supported the request to mention the agreement to the Court by 334 votes to 324 (10 abstentions). The intent of the procedure is to verify that the agreement is compatible with the EU Treaties. In practice, this means freezing the ratification process and withdrawing a harmful political decision over time.
The Mercosur dispute has divided European capitals for years. Contract supporters item economical and geopolitical benefits, including strengthening the EU's relations with South America. Critics, peculiarly from countries with a strong agricultural sector, have raised the hazard of flooding their markets with cheaper, poorer quality food and fear of production standards. The agricultural subject remains peculiarly politically sensitive, as the agreement can affect price competition in the EU.
One of the loudest comments after the vote was the entry of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The politician assessed that the EP's decision to mention the contract to the TEU was "deplorable" and did not take into account the "geopolitic situation". Mr Merz besides pointed out that Berlin was convinced that the agreement was compatible with EU law, stressing that "there could be no further delays" and that the agreement should be applied provisionally. Let us remind that Germany was the main beneficiary of the agreement on the EU side.
The Chancellor's entry became an immediate fuel for political dispute in Poland. Jarosław Kaczyński commented on platform X: “Strike on the table and... Germany will speak!”. The PiS leader suggested that Merz's reaction explains why the Donald Tusk government, in Kaczyński's opinion, was to "let go" the hard blocking of the agreement with the Mercosur countries.
This riposta is characteristic of the political kind of communication of the president of PiS: fast, maximum short, based on the contrast of the "Polish interest" and the "pression of Berlin". In practice, it is an effort to impose an explanation that the trade agreement dispute is not simply an economical one, but is part of a wider fight for influence in the EU.
Addressing the agreement to the TEU is formally legal, but politically it is simply a decision that gives countries and factions in the EP time for further force or renegotiation – especially in the most conflict-affected areas. According to media coverage, the hold may take a long time, which for the opponents of the agreement is simply a real victory, and for Germans – a frustrating brake on earnings, causing real harm to their automotive sector.
We besides recommend: Indian “Mercosur” is coming. It's gonna get worse.
