Kris Van Dijck on Mercosur: “European Parliament is playing with strategic autonomy and prosperity”

he European Parliament decided today to postpone its vote on the trade agreement with Mercosur. It wants to first wait for an opinion from the European Court of Justice on whether the agreement aligns with EU treaties. MEP Kris Van Dijck reacted sharply: “The European Parliament is pushing the EU into a prolonged deadlock.”

Van Dijck pointed out that the court procedure is expected to take between 18 months and two years. “In a context where European industry is already struggling, this is yet another blow to our economy,” he said.

Coalition of the unwilling

Van Dijck expressed concern about how the majority for the decision was formed, describing it as a temporary alliance of extremes. “This initiative was backed by the far left, the Greens, and the far right—a real ‘coalition of the unwilling’. The fact that these political extremes are joining forces to block strategically vital files is deeply worrying and utterly irresponsible.”

According to Van Dijck, the decision strikes at the heart of Europe’s strategic autonomy. “The more reliable global partners Europe has, the stronger our Union becomes,” he said. He believes blocking this agreement not only weakens Europe’s strategic position but also sends the wrong signal to other countries considering partnerships with the EU: “They will rightly start to question whether the EU is still a trustworthy partner.”

Van Dijck warned that the consequences would be felt especially in export-driven regions such as Flanders. “Flanders is an open economy where one in three jobs depends directly or indirectly on exports. Keeping trade agreements on hold for years is playing with our prosperity and employment.”

Continued uncertainty for the agricultural sector

Van Dijck also stressed that blocking the agreement does nothing to resolve challenges in the agricultural sector. “Putting everything on hold only creates more uncertainty without offering any real solutions. The structural problems in agriculture remain unaddressed—on the contrary, this creates additional instability,” he stated.

“Strategic autonomy requires economic strength, clear decisions, and strong international partnerships—not self-imposed stagnation,” Van Dijck concluded.