European MPs Find Common Ground On India Trade Deal Amid Heated TV Debate: 'We Need It'

Last Updated:January 29, 2026, 11:18 IST

The second MP concurred, saying: "I think it's very good he supports the India deal."

The exchange marks broad political support for the landmark agreement, which was closed this week.

In a rare moment of agreement during an otherwise contentious television debate, two European MPs put aside their differences to back the recently concluded India-European Union free trade agreement.

When asked by the anchor Méabh Mc Mahon of Euro News whether they agreed on anything their opponent had said, Irish MEP Ciaran Mullooly from Renew Europe responded: “He’s right. We need the big trade deal with India." Swedish MEP Jörgen Warborn from the European People’s Party concurred, saying: “I think it’s very good he supports the India deal."

The exchange marks broad political support for the landmark agreement, which was closed this week and hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “mother of all deals." The FTA with the EU, which represents about 25% of global GDP and roughly a third of global trade, will forge a market of 2 billion people at a time when trade ties are being tested amid rising geopolitical tensions.

“I congratulate our colleagues associated with every sector, such as textiles, gems and jewellery, leather and shoes. This deal will prove to be very supportive to these sectors," PM Modi said during a speech at the India Energy Week.

Trade talks between the two sides were relaunched in 2022, but the deal took years to finalise due to “mutually sensitive" issues such as agriculture and automotive sectors. According to European Commission data, goods traded between India and the EU in 2024 amounted to over 120 billion euros (about $140 billion), making the bloc New Delhi’s largest trading partner. Machinery and appliances, chemicals, base metals, mineral products and textiles are India’s top exports to the bloc. India is the ninth largest trading partner of the EU, accounting for 2.4% of the bloc’s total trade in goods in 2024, far behind major partners like the U.S. (17.3%), China (14.6%) or UK (10.1%).

News world European MPs Find Common Ground On India Trade Deal Amid Heated TV Debate: 'We Need It'

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