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London chapter organizes “Love Letters to Wallonia” letter-writing campaign

The Council of Canadians London chapter is organizing a “Love Letters to Wallonia” action today.


Their Facebook outreach highlights:

Join us in writing letters, sending thank you notes, sending emails, sending faxes, etc. to thank Wallonia for blocking the CETA free trade deal!

Address for mailing:

Paul Magnette, Ministre-Président

Gouvernement wallon

Rue Mazy, 25-27

5100 Namur

BELGIUM

Email: Paul.Magnette@gov.wallonie.be

Fax: 011-32-81-331-366 (leave out the dashes when dialing)


Yesterday, Reuters reported, “The European Union has given Belgium’s federal government until late on Monday to secure backing for an EU-Canada trade deal from the region of Wallonia or a planned summit to sign the pact will be canceled, an EU source said on Sunday. European Council President Donald Tusk, who chairs the collective body of the EU’s 28 national leaders, will speak to Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel by late on Monday, the source said, so that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau can decide whether to fly to Brussels for the signing on Thursday.”


That article highlighted, “If Michel cannot assure Tusk that Belgium will be able to let the EU sign the CETA agreement, then Thursday’s EU-Canada summit will be postponed and no new date will be set, although the source said neither the EU nor Canada is willing to give up on a free trade pact that has been years in the making.”


This morning, Reuters reported, “Prime Minister Charles Michel said he had told European Council President Donald Tusk on Monday that Belgium could not agree to sign an EU-Canada trade deal because he had failed to secure the agreement of regional authorities. ‘I have officially told Tusk that we have no agreement’, Michel told reporters after a meeting with the regional leaders.”


Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow tweeted from Germany, “It’s official! Wallonia is staying strong, there will be no CETA signed until it’s legitimate concerns are met. Thank you Wallonia!”


That message has now between retweeted 233 times.


Despite Wallonia’s constitutional right to reject CETA, Radio Canada International reported late this afternoon, “Trudeau will travel to Brussels for a planned European Union-Canada summit despite the failure by Belgium’s federal government to sway the country’s French-speaking Wallonia region to support a landmark free trade deal, said Monday Canada’s International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland. ‘I will be there with Mr Trudeau, absolutely’, Freeland said responding to a question in French.”


Mr. Trudeau, no means no.


#StopCETA