After more than 25 years of negotiations, after so much diplomatic, political, and economic effort, I cannot accept that this agreement is on the verge of collapsing due to indecision, fear, or populism.

I say bluntly: if we drop this agreement, it will be a gigantic strategic mistake for Europe. And it will be a mistake that we will pay dearly, not only now, but in the coming decades.

Listening to the experts who participated in the Euro Americas Forum, what should be obvious becomes even clearer: this agreement has the potential to transform the economy on both sides of the Atlantic. We could be creating an economic area on a global scale, capable of strengthening our competitiveness, opening up new markets, attracting investment, and consolidating relations that are historically natural and beneficial to both parties. Europe would gain reach, influence, global negotiating capacity. Mercosur would gain competitiveness, technology, sustainability, and stability. It's one of those rare win-win deals.

And yet, we remain blocked.

What really scares me is not the technical differences. These are the political dynamics. We live in an era in which populism dominates media cycles, in which disinformation has become a weapon, in which autocracies and military regimes manipulate global narratives, in which public debate is contaminated by manufactured fears. There are those who believe, or want to make believe, that opening markets is weakening Europe. It is quite the opposite. Closing ourselves off from the world is what makes us irrelevant.

I am concerned that, at a time when the planet is experiencing a return to protectionism, nationalism and the cult of 'every man for himself', Europe is not doing what it has always done best: building bridges, creating alliances, strengthening its influence through cooperation, trade and diplomacy.

It is painful to admit this, but the truth is that, if we reach December without an agreement, it will be a resounding failure. And an avoidable failure.

A failure because we will miss the opportunity to create one of the largest free trade areas in the world. A failure because we will be behind other blocks that advance without hesitation. A failure because, in an era marked by military powers that resort to force, disinformation and intimidation, the European Union cannot show signs of strategic weakness. A failure because, when we most needed to unite open democracies, we will be giving a gift to the forces that want to see us divided.

And, above all, it will be a failure because this agreement represents something much bigger than tariffs and quotas. It represents a worldview based on what unites us: values, transparent trade, sustainability, dialogue, cooperation. It represents the idea that Europe and Latin America can be more than occasional partners. They can be a pole of stability, freedom, and prosperity in an increasingly unstable world.

It is hard for me to accept that after so much work, so much progress and so many years of negotiations, all this can disappear in a political breath. It would be turning a historic opportunity into a footnote. It would be exchanging the future for hesitation. It would be allowing small fears to make big decisions.

I sincerely believe that this agreement is more than important. It is urgent. It is strategic. It is Europe asserting itself. And it is Mercosur that is consolidating. It is the kind of agreement that shows that the democratic world still knows how to work together. I hope we don't let this opportunity slip away. Because if we do that, what is only worried today can turn into regret tomorrow.