Donald Tusk issued a warning against isolationism at the Ceta signing
EU council president Donald Tusk has issued a passionate defence of the merits of free trade and warned against isolationism at the signing of a new pact with Canada.
Speaking as EU officials gathered to sign the Ceta deal alongside Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, Tusk said the delays in signing the deal were reflective of "post-truth" politics.
"The battle for Ceta…showed how important impressions and emotions are in the modern world. That facts and figures won't stand up for themselves alone," Tusk said.
He added that free trade and globalisation are a force for good in the world, protecting humanity from conflict, although "few people understand this".
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"The alternative is free-trade is isolationism and protectionism," Tusk said, adding that both increase the threat of conflict.
"We should be able to convince our citizens that free trade is in their interest, and not just big companies and corporations," he added.
It comes after repeated delays in the signing of the treaty, with the Belgian region of Wallonia blamed for stalling progress on the agreement.