Europe’s agricultural production will not be sacrificed on the “altar of global liberalism”, Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, vowed on Monday night, threatening to block any deal at the World Trade Organisation that jeopardised the region’s farming industry.

Mr Sarkozy said he would not accept the loss of 100,000 jobs that would result from a trade deal being backed by Peter Mandelson, the European Union’s trade commissioner, and Pascal Lamy, the WTO’s secretary-general. According to Mr Sarkozy, this outline deal would cut the EU’s agricultural production by 20 per cent and its exports by 10 per cent.