Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Hungary will never approve the Mercosur trade agreement as long as a national government remains in office. In a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday, he told farmers to stand firm, saying they had been deceived.

Orbán said farmers are angry not only because a decision was made against their interests but also because, in his words, they were treated as if they were foolish and deliberately misled. He said the agreement threatens farmers while decision-makers are attempting to sidestep them.

He recalled that under existing rules, international trade agreements must also be approved by national parliaments. Orbán said this makes it clear that Hungary will block the Mercosur agreement for as long as his government is in power

The prime minister accused European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the Commission of circumventing national parliaments by creating a legal mechanism that allows the agreement to be applied provisionally after signature, even before full ratification. He said this move explains why farmers are protesting, arguing that the issue goes beyond trade or the future of agriculture and concerns democratic decision-making.

Orbán said farmers are protesting in Strasbourg and calling for von der Leyen’s resignation because they believe they were deceived and excluded from decisions that harm them. He added that their demands are justified.

The Mercosur agreement is a long-negotiated free trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Supporters argue that it would reduce tariffs and expand export opportunities for European industry, particularly in manufacturing and services.

Critics, including several EU member states and farming groups, argue it would expose European farmers to cheaper agricultural imports produced under different environmental and animal welfare standards, putting domestic producers at a disadvantage.

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