Germany on Friday, December 6, urged fellow EU members to conclude a controversial pact with South America's Mercosur bloc that would create the world's biggest free-trade zone. "The chancellor has repeatedly made clear that there is now a unique opportunity for an agreement that we must not miss," government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann told reporters at a press conference. Germany is one of the majority of EU member states in favor of the deal, which has been negotiated for decades.
However, France is leading European opposition to the agreement, joined by Italy and Poland. Hoffmann said that "our goal is and remains a solution by mutual agreement and we are of course in touch with all partners about this, including France," adding that "the French concerns about the agreement are well known." "We are calling for pragmatism and willingness to compromise as far as possible," she said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due to meet Mercosur leaders on Friday for a two-day summit. German foreign ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told reporters that "we are counting on the commission president to get the negotiations over the line and that the necessary European majority is found after studying the text." He also underscored Berlin's position that the agreement "is important for us and also for Latin America," adding that "We must not leave the stage in Latin America open for others such as China."