Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has broken silence on EU-Mercosur free trade agreement.
On Tuesday, he claimed that Warsaw won’t be accepting the free trade deal negotiated by the European Union and the Mercosur bloc.
Notably, France has also been against it.
In 2019, the contours of the agreement with the Mercosur bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay were agreed, but some EU countries have blocked it going any further over competition concerns.
Before a cabinet session, Donald told the reporters, "Poland will not accept... the free trade agreement with the South American countries, that is, the Mercosur bloc, in this form,” adding, "concern for Polish farmers and food security" is the main reason.
Moreover, it is crucial to mention that France wants to build a coalition of at least four EU member states to form a blocking minority against the deal, as stipulated by EU regulations.
Poland's deputy prime minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said Warsaw had already joined Paris in that effort.
"Diplomatic actions are under way to build a minority that will block" the agreement from entering into force, he said.
Wladyslaw added, "Our primary ally is France, but... we are counting on other countries too," he added, saying the blocking minority "can be built, although of course it will not be easy."
Poland's development minister is set to meet with his French counterpart next week to discuss the efforts.
