Italy and France are seeking stronger guarantees for their agricultural sectors, one of the main points of resistance to the treaty. Internal pressures included high-level meetings in Brussels and warnings from European lawmakers about the possibility of forming a blocking minority, which requires the rejection of at least four countries representing 35% of the European Union's population. In parallel, massive farmer protests took place on the streets of Brussels against the EU-Mercosur agreement. IP Police intervened with tear gas and water cannons following incidents in front of official buildings. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, confirmed the decision on Thursday following the European leaders' summit, where no consensus was reached to advance the final text. Thus, the agreement will not be signed in Foz do Iguaçu during the summit where Brazil will hand over the presidency of Mercosur to Paraguay, as reported by the Argentine News Agency. The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, revealed that the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, asked for more time to analyze the ratification of the treaty. 'If we have patience for a week, ten days, or a month, Italy will be with the agreement,' assured the head of state. Despite Brazil's warning that 'there will be no more agreement' if it was not signed this weekend, official sources confirmed that Mercosur accepted the extension.
