By the numbers: Mercosur trade deal splits EU Parliament in half – POLITICO

Undecided lawmakers in the European Parliament will make or break a deal to create the world’s largest free-trade area, according to a POLITICO analysis of voting intentions.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa signed a long-awaited trade deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay amid fanfare last weekend.

The Mercosur trade agreement, 25 years in the making, covers 700 million people, and Brussels considers it a key strategic tool for the EU to strengthen trade ties with Latin America as relations with both the United States and China deteriorate.