Spanish farmers mobilise against EU-Mercosur trade deal amid mixed political support

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Vox and left-wing parties alike are backing farmers in their protest against the free trade agreement as they take their demands to the streets

Héctor Barbotta

Seville

Thursday, 12 February 2026, 10:36

With nearly 200 tractors gathering in Seville's city centre and the support of parties from both sides of the political spectrum, Andalusian farmers' organisations took to the streets to oppose the EU-Mercosur trade agreement.

Leaders from Vox and the parties left of PSOE (Izquierda Unida, Podemos and Adelante Andalucía) demonstrated their rejection of the agreement, which is currently blocked by the European parliament in any case.

The farmers also included among their demands their opposition to cuts in the EU's common agricultural policy (CAP) and their call for aid for the heavy losses, as yet uncalculated but expected to be in the millions, caused by the disastrous weather of recent days hitting the whole region.

Demonstrators demanded priority for the European primary sector in the face of what they consider to be less stringent regulations in the four Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay), against which they would be competing at a disadvantage were the agreement to come into being.

These lobbying groups are calling on the Spanish government to take a stand against the agreement. They also argue that the deal will harm not only Andalusian agriculture. but also the people of Andalucía.

Provincial secretary of COAG (the umbrella organisation of farmers' associations in Andalucía) in Seville, Sebastián González, described the agreement as shameful, stating that it is detrimental to all European agriculture, but especially to that in Andalucía.

He believes that the interests of the industrial sector have been taken into account, but not those of the primary sector.

President of the Seville branch of the young farmers association (Asaja), María Morales, accused the Spanish government of disrespecting the countryside and of ignoring it for its support of the free trade deal.

She called on the general public to scrutinise food labels in supermarkets and opt for European products over those that come from abroad "with carcinogenic and toxic substances", for which she also demanded tighter border controls and checks at source.

Political support

Political support for the demonstration organised by these agricultural associations brought together leaders from parties on both sides of the political spectrum. Vox's spokesperson in Andalucía, Manuel Gavira, lashed out at the People's Party (PP) and the socialists, whom he accused of being responsible for their stance in Europe.

"Now they want to deceive us again with the safeguard clause issue, when we've had these mirror clauses not being enforced for years," he said after recalling the European Parliament's vote on the regulation implementing safeguard clauses.

He added that, when the safeguard clauses are applied, the primary sector will be definitively ruined. "Products from third countries that cannot withstand the restrictions, prohibitions and limitations our producers face will arrive. Products of much poorer quality than those grown by our farmers will arrive."

The federal coordinator for Izquierda Unida and candidate of the Por Andalucía coalition for the presidency of the regional government, Antonio Maíllo, also attended the protest and recalled that his party opposed it "because it leaves the Andalusian and Spanish countryside in a situation of extreme weakness".

Left-wing opinions

Maíllo argued that the treaty has been stalled thanks to the left's European parliamentary group and that now there is an opportunity to rectify the situation.

"Those of us who defend Andalusian agriculture consider it incompatible with those who defend the Mercosur agreement in Brussels, as the PP does, or those who defend Trump's tariff policy, which irreversibly damages Andalusian agriculture," he added, referring to Vox.

"Vox and the People's Party cannot have their cake and eat it too", so "either they decide to support the interests of small and medium-sized farmers and livestock breeders, or they decide to back large investment funds".

Likewise, the Podemos Andalucía candidate for the Junta presidency, Juan Antonio Delgado, stressed that the agreement "is a stab in the back that could be the final blow for many food producers and livestock farmers".

For her part, Begoña Iza, a member of parliament for Adelante Andalucía, stressed that "we must listen to the demands of the Andalusian countryside", convinced that "small and medium-sized farmers always lose out" with these types of major trade agreements.