Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced on Thursday, January 8 that Budapest will vote against the free trade agreement between the European Union and MERCOSUR.
In a social media post, Szijjarto stated: “Tomorrow Hungary will vote against the free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur. We oppose this decision, as Brussels once again ignores the interests of our farmers.”
The minister explained that if the agreement is signed, Europe would receive unlimited imports of agricultural products, which he said would harm the well-being of Hungarian farmers.
This announcement follows reports from December 2025 indicating that EU negotiations with MERCOSUR had been ongoing for 25 years. On December 10, a columnist highlighted risks to the agreement’s conclusion, and by December 20, it was reported that the EU countries had failed to sign the deal, with rescheduling of signing attempts for January 12, 2026.
