President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva published an article this Saturday in 27 European and Mercosur newspapers, in which he presents the agreement that will be signed today, in Paraguay, as a political and economic reaction to the advance of unilateralism, protectionism and trade wars on the international scene. In the text, translated into 17 languages, Lula states that, at a time when “unilateralism isolates markets and protectionism inhibits global growth”, the two blocs opted for a different path, based on integration, trade openness and the defense of multilateralism.
“Against the logic of trade wars that segregate economies, impoverish nations and increase inequality, Mercosur and the European Union will sign one of the broadest agreements of the 21st century tomorrow,” writes the president.
Negotiated over more than 25 years, the agreement is presented by Lula as the result of the conviction that “only integration and trade openness promote shared prosperity”. The president maintains that the treaty creates the largest free trade area in the world and rejects the zero-sum logic in international trade.
“There is no isolated economy. International trade is not a zero-sum game. Everyone wants to grow, and the new partnership will create mutual opportunities for employment, income generation, sustainable development and economic progress”, he states.
According to the article, the agreement brings together 31 countries, with a total population of around 720 million and a combined Gross Domestic Product of more than US$22 trillion. Lula highlights that the partnership will expand mutual access to strategic markets, with “clear, predictable and balanced” rules, in addition to stimulating investments, exports and production chains on both sides of the Atlantic.
The president also emphasizes that the final version of the agreement preserves sensitive interests. In the text, Lula states that the approved version protects the interests of vulnerable sectors, guarantees environmental protection, promotes shared values such as democracy and human rights, strengthens workers’ rights and preserves the role of the State as a strategic driver of economic and social development.
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For Lula, the conclusion of the treaty demonstrates that Mercosur and the European Union opted for dialogue under conditions of respect and equality, even in the face of different views. He states that the blocs found convergences, showing that cooperation is more advantageous and effective than intimidation and conflict.
In the article, the president emphasizes that the signing of the agreement does not end the process, but inaugurates a new stage. According to Lula, the success of the treaty will be measured by how quickly its benefits reach “the market shelves, the countryside, the factories and the pockets of citizens”.
“Signing, however, is just a first step. Tomorrow begins a new collection phase for the agile and transparent implementation of what was agreed.”
Lula also points out that the potential gains cover several sectors, from the bioeconomy to the high-tech industry, reaching farmers, companies of different sizes and consumers. In addition to the economic dimension, the president states that the agreement reinforces historical ties between regions with a democratic and multilateral vocation.
“Interdependence is a necessity and a reality”, he writes, defending joint work as an instrument to promote peace and face climate change.
In the end, the president maintains that the Mercosur–European Union agreement symbolizes the possibility of an alternative global governance, “more active, representative, inclusive and fair”, and associates the treaty with the defense of reforms in multilateral institutions, such as the World Trade Organization and the UN Security Council.
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“Faced with the growth of political extremism, Mercosur and the European Union demonstrate in practice how multilateralism (…) remains current and essential”, he concludes.
