Farmers and taxi drivers have begun blocking the French capital to protest legal changes they say are destroying agriculture.
French farmers bring about a thousand tractors to Paris to completely block traffic in the capital. From 14:00 local time, vehicles must move onto the roads and thus block all eight major highways.
It should be noted that the A13 highway was already blocked in the morning by taxi drivers, who also joined the farmers’ protest. The French police, on the other hand, began to assemble armored vehicles to prevent tractors from entering Paris and the country’s major cities.
“Blockade” of Paris
Law enforcement officials reported that they recorded at least a thousand tractors moving towards the capital. Protesters are expected to leave transport 30 km from the city center to block the exit and entry of vehicles.
This situation could disrupt access to Charles de Gaulle-Roissy airport to the north of the city and Orly airport to the south, as well as to the main fresh produce market in the Rungis region.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said 15,000 police and gendarmes had been mobilized to keep tractors out of Paris and maintain access to airports.
Local authorities have also contacted the public and advised drivers to cancel or postpone all non-essential trips.
What are the protesters demanding?
French farmers, including the country’s thousands of independent producers, say they are “suffocated by bureaucracy and regulations” by the European Union and Paris itself. Protesters are demanding fairer prices for produce, an extension to agricultural diesel subsidies, and financial aid for organic farmers.
Several farmers’ union leaders called on their members to put maximum pressure on the government this week, especially ahead of newly appointed Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s speech to parliament on Tuesday to outline his political agenda.
In southwestern France, protesters have blocked roads outside Pau, Bayonne and Agen since Saturday, and protesters are expected to block Lyon from Monday. Farmers also began blocking roads leading to ski resorts in the Pyrenees.
Arnaud Rousseau, head of the main farmers’ union FNSEA, said the campaign and roadblocks would continue until Thursday, when President Emmanuel Macron will join other leaders at a European Council meeting.
On Monday morning, Agriculture Minister Marc Fenot said that all the demands of the protesters will be published within 48 hours and that he will also visit Brussels this week.
“We continue to work with their representatives… we are working with them to propose a certain number of measures that will show the government’s readiness to face the crisis,” Fenot told French television.
What is the government’s plan?
The French government was frankly surprised by the intensity of the peasants’ anger. A few months ago, young farmers destroyed road signs in protest, but in the past week the rallies have started to get out of control.
Note that the protests in France followed similar actions in other European countries, including Germany and Poland. All this is happening on the eve of the elections to the European Parliament, where it seems that the far right, where the farmers represent the main electorate, will win.
President Emmanuel Macron is expected to advocate for more favorable agricultural policies at the EU leaders’ summit on Thursday, February 1. Until then, to receive EU subsidies, farmers must set aside 4% of farmland as “unproductive” areas where nature can recover. This can be done by leaving fields empty (cultivated but unplanted land that needs to “rest”).
Reuters, citing two EU officials, states that the European Commission is now considering various options for changing the rules on uninhabited lands.
The commission temporarily exempted farmers from this clause in response to the war in Ukraine and food security issues.
New Correspondent.net on Telegram and WhatsApp. Subscribe to our channels Athletistic and WhatsApp
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.