EU-Mercosur: The art of the (drawn-out) deal

The EU-Mercosur trade agreement has always carried the air of a promise made just before it is broken. On Wednesday, by a razor-thin vote, the European Parliament decided to send the deal for judicial review, a move that may keep it in limbo for up to another two years. 

The resolution passed by 10 votes and ensured that the EU Parliament will not vote on the trade agreement’s substance until Europe’s highest court has had its say. For the backers of the massive deal (such as Brazil or Germany), it was another Charlie Brown moment: the run-up felt real, but Lucy — played by France and other protectionist farming states — pulled the football away again.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, talked on Monday about the significance of the deal’s signature this past weekend in Asunción, Paraguay. “This agreement sends a powerful message to the world. That we are choosing fair trade over tariffs. Partnership over isolation,” she said in a speech.