“For France, this is a surprise—and an unpleasant one. For the European Parliament, it is bad practice,” Macron said on Friday during a joint appearance in Paris with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob. He described the move as “unilateral” and argued that it represents “a major responsibility toward farmers who have expressed their concerns,” as well as “a major responsibility toward European citizens and their representatives, who were not shown the respect they deserve.”

France has voiced reservations about the agreement for months. Members of the European Parliament have also filed a case before the Court of Justice of the European Union to determine whether the text complies with EU treaties or should be rejected. That legal challenge freezes the ratification process for about 18 months. In the meantime, however, the European Commission retains the option to apply the agreement on a provisional basis.

“We will remain vigilant and ensure that everything we negotiated with difficulty over recent months is respected: enhanced oversight of sensitive sectors, the agricultural safeguard clause we promoted and which is particularly important, the adoption of ‘mirror measures,’ and stronger sanitary controls in third countries and at the EU’s borders,” Macron said. He stressed that he will be “uncompromising when it comes to enforcing these rules.”

“Europe has significantly tightened the rules for our producers in recent years. I will never defend an agreement that is lenient on what we import and strict on what we produce. That is inconsistent for European consumers and damaging to European sovereignty,” he concluded.

Germany’s foreign minister took the opposite view, welcoming the European Commission’s decision to move ahead with the temporary application of the agreement and arguing that it will support “prosperity and growth.” “This is Europe’s moment (…). Businesses and citizens on both continents can finally benefit from greater prosperity and increased growth,” Johann Wadephul wrote on X, describing the deal as “historic.”

Spain echoed that stance, with the government saying it supports the Commission’s decision. “In an increasingly uncertain world, Europe cannot afford to fall behind. The agreement is an important step on the EU’s roadmap to becoming more autonomous and more resilient,” said Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo