The infographic presents a critical assessment of the long‑negotiated EU‑Mercosur trade agreement, arguing that a once visionary project may now be overtaken by a radically changed world. At its core, the deal promised to create one of the world’s largest free‑trade zones, opening a market of more than 750 million people, boosting GDP, and delivering tariff e
The infographic dramatizes how the EU‑Mercosur saga became a textbook case of “institutional quicksand,” turning what could have been a decade of accelerated growth into a lost opportunity for both sides. On the left, the 2015 “what if” path mirrors the article’s counterfactual scenario: a more federal, agile EU striking an early deal, locking in strategic primacy in South America, faster tariff elimination, and privileged access to critical raw materials long before China emerged as Mercosur’s dominant economic partner.
