Amid resentment about expenses, red tape, and environmental rules, French farmers were back on the streets of Paris on Friday, cautioning President Emmanuel Macron that he should prepare for a challenging reception when he opens a significant farm show on Saturday.
Number of tractors entered the French capital with loud horns blaring.
“Macron you’re sowing the seeds for a storm – be careful of what you reap,” was written on a placard attached to one tractor.
Across Europe, farmers have been demonstrating in support of Kyiv’s war effort, demanding higher wages, less red tape, and an end to unfair competition from low-cost Ukrainian goods.
Farmers in France Continue protests against Govt.
Earlier this month, French farmers had mainly put a stop to protests that involved spreading manure in front of public buildings and obstructing highways after Prime Minister Gabriel Attal pledged additional measures valued at 400 million euros ($432.56 million).
However, demonstrations have begun this week to put pressure on the government to fulfill its commitments, ahead of the Paris Farm Show, a significant French occasion that draws some 600,000 people over nine days.
“Some farmers are going to try to prevent Macron, the president, from going into the trade show. According to Jean Lefevre, a member of FNSEA, the largest farming union in France, “And if he does get in, they will disturb his walkabout,” he told Reuters.
Lefevre stated that around 2,000 farmers and tractors had been waiting for Macron at the exhibition.
Protests by farmers have expanded throughout Europe, most recently to Poland, Spain, and the Czech Republic. The demonstrations coincide with the extreme right’s apparent gains in June’s elections for the European Parliament, as farmers become an increasingly important part of their support base.
Macron said on X that he was calling off a discussion he had scheduled with farmers, food processors, and merchants at the agricultural fair on Saturday because farmers’ unions had stated they would not attend. This is just another example of how strained ties remain between farmers and the administration in France.
Comments 1