French Senate Rejects Bill to Ratify EU-Canada Trade Deal

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the European Union (EU) and Canada has been provisionally in effect since 2017 but requires ratification in all EU member countries for full implementation. On March 21, 2023, France's Senate voted against the ratification of CETA with a margin of 211 votes against and 44 votes for. Previously, Macron and his centrist parliamentary allies had managed to get the deal approved in 2019. French Trade Minister Franck Riester has been advocating for the ratification of CETA through various media outlets leading up to the vote. Despite this effort, the Senate rejected the legislation to ratify the agreement, sending it back to the National Assembly.