French farmers have vowed to continue their tractor protests “as long as necessary”, laying the blame for growing rural anger at the feet of the European Union's environmental policies and President Emmanuel Macron's globalist government.
Adding to the political gains made by Dutch farmers last year and the recent uprisings seen across Germany, not to mention tractor protests already seen in France for decades, French farmers said they plan to continue closing the highway with tractors. At least until the end of this week, and it could take longer if the government doesn't comply with the demands.
Hundreds of farmers have blocked the highway in both directions near Toulouse since last Thursday afternoon, and similar protests are taking place across the country.
Arnaud Rousseau, President of the FNSEA Agricultural Union Said according to le figaro: “From today and throughout this week, we can say that a certain number of actions will be carried out for as long as necessary.”
“The anger that is being expressed is not new… What farmers want is to restore some dignity to their profession and to talk about issues of income and competitiveness. is the theme of every day-to-day practice of this profession: how, with over-management and the European variation of a certain number of rules, are we no longer in line with what is happening?'' he said. continued.
des centaines de#farmer bloquent l'autoroute A62 au niveau d'#Agen.#Farmer Ankole pic.twitter.com/hxMQn6CB9X
— Luc Auffret (@LucAuffret) January 22, 2024
Primarily farmers want their way of life to be respected by the elites in Paris and Brussels. But in terms of concrete measures, it wants the EU and its governments, which recently raised taxes on agricultural fuels, to cut burdensome green regulations.
French farmers also expressed anger at unfair competition that drives down prices of food produced with cheap labor and lax standards, such as from Ukraine, which the EU granted tariff-free access to the single market last year. are doing. The situation is further exacerbated by the lack of enforcement of laws governing annual price negotiations between major supermarket chains and farmers.
Recently appointed French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has promised to announce the first changes to agricultural policy within the week, but the government is seeking to build trust with rural communities ahead of European elections scheduled for June. It is unclear whether it will recover. Agriculture will be an important political issue across the bloc.
🔴 #perpignan : l'imposante file de tracteurs au péage 🚜🚜🚜@actuperpignan pic.twitter.com/dOsh8gox7Q
— Thibaud Calatayud (@thibautcala) January 22, 2024
As in the Netherlands and Germany, France's populist right is aligned with peasant protests. Jordan Bardera, president of the national caucus, said his party is a champion of farmers while visiting wine producers over the weekend. On the other hand, Bardella Said“Macron's Europe wants our agriculture to die.''
bardella declared The farmers' anger is “the cry of French people who don't want to die, who are attached to their social model, who are attached to the countryside and rural life.”
In the run-up to EU parliamentary elections, the National Rally leader says his party will advocate for renegotiating or withdrawing trade deals to protect French farmers, and the government should try to motivate young people. He vowed to abolish inheritance taxes on farmers. He said in a rapidly aging profession, “Young people who want to be farmers are part of the bloodline of the people who built this country.”
Violent tractor protests begin in France as peasant uprisings spread across Europehttps://t.co/GlNUK9jK6v
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 17, 2024
