Farmers Demonstrate in Bern Ahead of Thursday's Mercosur Vote

BERN - Farmers demonstrated in the capital on Wednesday against the EFTA-Mercosur agreement, two days before the National Council vote and one day, in practice, before the deal's political fate in this chamber. Beef and wine quotas were the chants. Machinery exporters watched from offices and called the noise a gift to competitors.

Left parties joined on labour and forest standards. That coalition is wide enough to block a trade text. It is not wide enough to write one.

A first no

The rejection is in our 12 June report. It was loud. It was not, it turned out, the last word.