As French farmers intensify their protests against rising production costs and stringent European regulations, the government is racing to avert a blockade of Paris. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, on a visit to central France, promised additional measures to address farmers’ concerns, including unfair competition and challenges in transferring farm properties. The country’s largest farmers union, FNSEA, has called for a “siege” of Paris starting Monday, with farmers planning to block major roads into the capital for an “undetermined period of time.”
Attal, making his second visit to a farm in three days, acknowledged the need to provide farmers with more leeway at the local level. Despite the government’s initial promises of increased support, unions remain unmoved. The FNSEA, backed by the Young Farmers union, issued a statement late Saturday announcing the blockade and occupation of key routes into Paris.
Farmer discontent across Europe
Farmers from the Paris region and the Rural Coordination union in Lot-et-Garonne have outlined plans to block the capital and the Rungis wholesale food market, respectively. The ongoing unrest has prompted Prime Minister Attal to backtrack on a plan to raise taxes on farming fuel and impose fines on companies violating price negotiation rules. He also reiterated France’s opposition to a major trade agreement between the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur.
The protests by French farmers are part of a broader wave of discontent across Europe, with demonstrations reported in Germany, Poland, Belgium, and Italy. In Belgium, the Federation of Young Farmers organized protests in the French-speaking part of the country, and in Italy, over a hundred tractors blocked a highway toll gate near Rome.
Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau announced that further measures for winegrowers, particularly those affected by mildew-related losses, would be unveiled in the coming week. As the government grapples with the escalating crisis, it faces the challenge of finding a resolution that addresses farmers’ grievances and ensures the stability of the agricultural sector.
Silent protest
Protesters in Beauvais, northern France, organized a silent march on Saturday, honoring farmers who lost their lives, including some who tragically took their own lives due to the immense stress of their working conditions.
(With inputs from agencies)