Oddone hails EU-Mercosur accord's 'civilisational approach' beyond commercial and economic interests

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Uruguay's Economy and Finance Minister Gabriel Oddone defended the EU-Mercosur trade accord as embodying a "civilisational approach" rooted in social democracy and the welfare state, rather than pure commercial interest. Speaking at the OECD's Latin America Forum in Paris, Oddone positioned Uruguay's commitment to fiscal responsibility and inequality reduction as a counterweight to the hard-right economic policies gaining traction across Latin America. He framed the agreement as reflecting shared values between Europe and Mercosur nations on social protection and sustainable development, not merely transactional economics.