France Rejects EU-Canada Free Trade Agreement

In a significant political defeat for President Macron, the French Senate votes against ratifying the CETA, leaving the deal in provisional status.

The French Senate's rejection of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada marks a political setback for President Macron.
An unusual coalition of 211 senators, ranging from communists to conservatives, voted against the deal, with only 44 in favor.
Despite the Senate's decision, the CETA has been operational provisionally since 2017 and can remain so without full ratification by all EU member states.
Critics of CETA in France raise concerns over food safety and unfair competition, fearing that Canadian beef could flood the European market.
The French government could either notify Brussels of the refusal to ratify or bring the bill back for a fresh debate, mirroring Cyprus's approach with a similar situation.