Amazon Escalation: Macron Says France Now Opposes EU-Mercosur Agreement

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, August 23rd, that Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro “lied” about his commitments to the environment and announced that, under these conditions, France is opposed to the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur.

“Given Brazil’s attitude in recent weeks, the French president can only note that president Bolsonaro lied to him at the Osaka (G20) summit,” declared the Elysée Palace, the seat of the French government, estimating that “president Bolsonaro has decided not to respect his climate commitments or commit himself to biodiversity.”

“Under these circumstances, France is opposed to the Mercosur agreement,” added the French presidency.

Yesterday, Macron criticized the fires in the Amazon and called for the issue to be debated during the G7 summit before being called an “idiot” by Eduardo Bolsonaro, the president’s son.

The next meeting of the group, which brings together the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan, will take place this weekend in Biarritz (France).

For the full picture, see our Mercosur EU Trade Deal: Complete Guide.