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Belgium blocks EU-Canada trade deal
The European Union's bid to secure a key trade deal with Canada (CETA) has failed after Belgium's regional leaders were unable to reach an accord by the Monday evening deadline. The federal government and the regions of Brussels and Wallonia were unsuccessful in coming to the unanimous agreement needed to empower Belgium's prime minister Charles Michel to sign the trade agreement.
During the CETA discussions, Michel (pictured) urged Walloon minister-president Paul Magnette to convince his parliament to support the landmark agreement, but Wallonia was adamant. Michel was thereby forced to announce before the European Commission that the "Walloon and Brussels governments say 'no'."
CETA should normally be signed on Thursday during an EU-Canada summit in Brussels, but the signing will not go through due to continued resistance from French-speaking Belgium. As a result, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau will likely not attend the European summit.
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker made it clear that CETA will remain on the table, to which Michel responded that he is "open to further discussion."
Comments
This is just one symptom of so much that is wrong with the EU.
Agreed. I can understand 28 countries voting yes/no but NOT all the regions and parliaments and whatever. Belgium now continues its infighting on the global stage. What a shambles. Let's see who does Belgium any favors in the near future!
The mouse that roared. Negative limelight is still limelight so I can imagine the publicity-seeking Belgian politicians are satisfied. At least now the world has heard of Wallonia and some people may even look on a map to see where it actually is. This is also just one more symptom of all that is wrong in this tiny little country.
The mouse that roared?Or democracy in action?
It's no harm to bring national politicians and international negotiators down to earth occasionally.
Some of your contributors have made anti-Belgian comments bordering on racism. As far as I know,there is no Berlin Wall or any other major obstacle to keep the moaners here.
If they don't like this country, there are plenty of trains and boats and planes to take them wherever they want to go.
I,ve lived here for 40 years and love Belgian,warts and all.