Why trade deals like CETA have become a 'whipping boy' for anti-globalization forces

Globalization has always had its critics there'snothing new there, says Fen Hampson, professor of international affairs at CarletonUniversity'sNorman Paterson School of International Affairs.

But given the problems Europe is experiencing now, with high levels of unemployment, particularly among youth, it's not surprising that free trade deals liketheCanada-EUCETA have become "a whipping boy for very unhappy people who are out of work," Hampson said.

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And that's why the backlash against theComprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, he said, is symptomaticof growing anti-globalization sentiments, and may well have played a role in the decision byBelgium'sWalloniasocialist governmentto scuttle the trade pact between Canada and the 28-nation bloc.

'Under political attack'

"The Canada-EU setback underlines just how much free trade is under political attack," Andrew Hammond,an associate at the Centre for International Affairs, Diplomacy and Strategyat the London School of Economics, wrote in the Globe and Mail."If CETA collapses, it could set precedent for the demise of TTIP [Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership] and also indicate significant problems ahead for any Brexit deal."

Wallonia, afrancophone regionwith apopulation of 3.5 million, has been the lone holdoutover approval ofthe trade pact. Local politicians haveargued that the proposed deal would undermine labour, environment and consumer standards and allow multinationals to crush local companies.

But Wallonia is alsoan economically depressed area. And asCanadian scholar Daniel Bland, who has studied Belgian federalism, told the CBC's Don Pittis, the anti-trade message resonates with some voters there,much like it haswith DonaldTrump supportersinparts of the U.S.

It also resonates in other parts of Europe.Protestsagainst CETAandTTIPhave been held in a number of Europeancities.

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"Those who do support globalization, which includes many of the European leaders,have not a made an effective case to their own people about the importanceof open markets," Hampsonsaid.

Dan Ciuriak, an international trade expert and senior fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation, said that much like thefirst casualty of war is truth, the first casualty of a recession is trade.

"So combine the long period of slow jobless growthand you have a naturalreactionagainst globalization."

But the bigger issuearoundglobalizationis the issue ofsovereigntyand who gets to decide what the rules should be within acountry, saidArmineYalnizyan, a senior economist for theCanadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

That'swhy we are seeingpushback against these deals, such as CETA and TPP, which are not primarily about trade, she said.

"It's primarily about investment and rewriting the rules of capital and labour mobility for the benefit of corporations," she said. "And people are starting to get really kind of freaked out about that."

'A handy little label'

But RobertWolfe,a professor at Queen University'sSchool of Policy Studies, suggested that the so-calledanti-globalization furormay not be representative of the population as a whole.

"Knowing you have lots of protests in the streets makes for colourful news stories, it doesn't necessarily tell you much about what is actually going on in public opinion," he said.

The issue, he said, is not actually about globalization, in the sense that peopletruly understand it and don't like it.

Instead, Wolfe said, theseso-called anti-globalization opponents are really saying that as a result of what's going on in the world, "we're living in a more unequal society where lots of peopleare not included or doing well financially."

"Globalizationhas become a handy little label which nobodyreallyunderstands. It's just beenbeen plunkedon stuff thatsaysglobalization has done this to you."

Global trade critics

8 years ago

Duration 2:58

After a steady march toward globalization, trade deals like NAFTA, CETA and TPP are under fire

The Walloongovernmentmayvery well have been reading a lot ofanti-globalizationcritiquesofCETAand may think there is a broad political point to be made here,Wolfesaid.

Yet, despite protests in some of their major cities,every otherEU nation has acceptedthe deal.

But Hampsonsuggested that "short-term tactical politics" may be at play here. Hepointed out thatinitially it was agreed that CETA would only need theapproval by the EU'sCouncil of Ministers. But withpolitical pressure froma number of leaders, including France and Germany, who would be facing re-election next year, the decision was made to submit the pact for approval of 28 national legislators.

"They knewfull wellthis wasgoing toberunning agauntleteven under the bestof circumstancesand it gets them off of astickywicket," he said. "If CETAis derailednow,electionscan befoughtonother issuesand it takes thepoliticiansoff the hook."