EU Parliament stalls Mercosur with 334 votes to send it to ECJ

EU Parliament stalls Mercosur with 334 votes to send it to ECJ

Is the EU-Mercosur agreement dead or just in the freezer? The vote in the European Parliament answers with a "it depends." By 334 votes in favor, 324 against, and 11 abstentions, the European Parliament has approved referring the treaty to the Court of Justice of the European Union for a ruling on its compatibility with EU law. It's not a definitive halt, but it's a textbook brake: European justice never runs fast.

Two votes, two fates: 334-324 and 225-402

The winning resolution came from The Left, the group that brings together Podemos and Sumar. The far-right Patriots for Europe, including Vox, tried to go further with an initiative to bring down the agreement outright, but it was rejected by 225 votes in favor, 402 against, and 13 abstentions. The difference between the two proposals is crucial: sending it to the ECJ is a brake that could last months; killing the deal is a shot to the head. Parliament has chosen the slow path, and not out of kindness.

The strange brake bloc: from Sumar to Vox

The Spanish political map has become unrecognizable. Vox, ERC, Compromís, BNG, and Sumar voted in favor of the referral; PP, PSOE, and PNV against. Party discipline blew up: national interests rule. France voted almost as a bloc in favor, pressured by protests from the agricultural sector; Spain and Germany upheld the pact. The coincidence between the left and the far right is the best proof that the battle over Mercosur has ceased to be ideological and become purely territorial.

Mirror clauses, smoke, and protests in February

The most uncomfortable thing for the official narrative is that the referral to the ECJ is not a triumph for European farmers. The famous mirror clauses, sold by PP and PSOE as the definitive safeguard, have ended up in the Commission's final text as a statement of intent without a credible enforcement mechanism. The Commission has already approved the final text of the agreement and, meanwhile, protests from the primary sector are being prepared for February. Outright rejection of the pact is still there, with farmers on the streets and parties doing handstands to see who takes credit.

The perfect move would be this: for the ECJ to take its time and for the agreement to enter into force when the headlines no longer talk about it. It smells like a cosmetic strategy, but the European electoral board is so fragmented that judicial referral may be the only way to buy time without burning anyone. In the end, everyone votes according to their convenience and coherence is left at the door of the European Parliament. Meanwhile, farmers watch, skeptical, and make their own calculations. The next time someone asks if Mercosur is stalled, look at the ECJ's calendar and smile.