Thousands of European farmers staged large tractor blockades and clashed with police in Brussels as EU leaders met to debate whether to delay, amend or sign the EU–Mercosur free‑trade pact, escalating pressure after Italy joined France in opposing the agreement.Demonstrators set fires, hurled potatoes and eggs and blocked streets while police used tear gas and water cannon; the pact would phase out tariffs with Mercosur over 15 years and cover about 780 million people and roughly a quarter of global GDP, supporters say.Giorgia Meloni said signing the deal "would be premature" and demanded "adequate reciprocal guarantees for our agricultural sector," Emmanuel Macron called for further talks, Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa remained scheduled to initial the accord in Brazil later this week, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned "If we don't do it now, Brazil won't make any more agreements while I'm president."