Farmers shut down Brussels as backlash grows over trade deal
Thousands of farmers brought central Brussels to a standstill on Thursday, December 18, blocking roads with tractors and clashing with police as European Union (EU) leaders met to decide the fate of the long-delayed EU–Mercosur trade agreement. The message from farmers was blunt: the deal threatens to undercut European agriculture and accelerate farm collapse.
More than 150 tractors clogged the streets around the European quarter, with farm groups estimating up to 10,000 protesters in the Belgian capital. Farmers hurled potatoes and eggs, set off fireworks, and displayed signs questioning why Europe should import food from across the world while local producers struggle to survive. Police responded with tear gas, water cannons, and road closures.
At the center of the protest is a proposed trade pact between the EU and the South American Mercosur bloc — Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia — which would phase out tariffs on most goods over 15 years. Farmers warn the agreement would flood European markets with cheaper imports, particularly beef, sugar, rice, honey, and soybeans, produced under weaker labor, environmental, and pesticide standards than those required in the EU.
“This deal puts farmers in direct competition with imports that don’t follow the same rules we do,” Belgian dairy farmer Maxime Mabille told Al Jazeera News, accusing EU leadership of forcing the agreement through despite widespread opposition. Farmers argue they are being asked to meet ever-stricter standards at home while competing against products made with chemicals and practices banned in Europe.
The protests reflect long-simmering anger. Farmers across France, Belgium, and other EU countries have been mobilizing since 2024, saying their warnings have gone unheard as trade policy prioritizes export markets and geopolitical strategy over farm viability.
Political divisions inside the EU are now sharp. France and Italy are leading opposition, with President Emmanuel Macron saying the agreement “cannot be signed” in its current form. France has joined Poland, Belgium, Austria, and Ireland in pushing to delay or block the deal — a coalition that could have enough votes to stall it.
On the other side, Germany and Spain are pressing for approval, arguing the agreement would strengthen Europe’s global trade position. Supporters frame the pact as a strategic necessity, while farmers see it as another example of trade policy written for corporations, not producers.
For farmers, the issue is existential. They say the Mercosur deal follows a familiar pattern: open borders for cheap imports, shrinking margins at home, and more pressure on already fragile farm economies. The Brussels protests underscore a broader reality playing out across Europe and beyond — farmers are increasingly being asked to absorb the costs of global trade policy, while their ability to earn a living continues to erode.
As negotiations continue behind closed doors, farmers are making it clear they are no longer willing to stay silent — or off the streets.
Read more here:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/18/angry-farmers-block-brussels-roads-with-tractors-over-mercosur-trade-deal
