Paul Magnette celebrates Wallonia’s success in forcing the EU and Canada to agree to his terms YVES HERMAN/REUTERSThe tiny left-wing Wallonia region of southern Belgium claimed a victory today after it secured concessions so that it stopped blocking the signing of a multi-billion dollar trade deal between the European Union and Canada. In a sign of the EU’s difficulty in negotiating international agreements, the Wallonia regional parliament had refused to approve the trade treaty until it received guarantees that it would not lead to privatisation and job losses. A failure to strike a deal with Canada could have meant that the agreement, called Ceta, was the EU’s last trade deal, Mr Tusk warned last week.

Source: The Times October 27, 2016 16:00 UTC