French agricultural unions are prepared to mount an “indefinite siege” on Paris starting Monday, as part of ongoing protests calling for the government to roll back a range of uncompetitive regulations hurting the livelihoods of the nation’s growers and agricultural workers.
According to France’s two main farming unions, the FNSEA (Fédération Nationale des Syndicats d'Exploitants Agricoles) and the Jeunes Agriculteurs, their members are ready to converge on the French capital with their tractors and other farming equipment. All major roads will be blocked for an “indefinite period,” mimicking a medieval siege, without the bloodshed, until their grievances are solved.
Farmers from the Lot-et-Garonne region, a hotspot for the protest movement in southern France, were among the many groups intending to march on Paris and blockade the Rungis wholesale food market south of the capital, which supplies the capital and its surrounding regions with much of their fresh food.
Among the concerns being aired by the farmers are not receiving a fair price for their produce and little to no protection against supermarkets buying cheaper imports and undercutting them. Endless red tape, low fuel emissions targets, low pensions, and complex environmental laws have also been flagged as concerns by the farmers.
French farmers are forbidden from using farming products that their competitors in neighboring countries, such as Italy, still have the right to use.
French Government Mobilize Police and Paramilitary Forces
The final straw for many French farmers was the phasing-out of a tax break on diesel for farm equipment. It sparked protests that have been ongoing for the last two weeks, with over 100 blockades around the country.
Farmers have been using their tractors to block long sections of road, slow traffic, dump agricultural waste at the gates of government offices, and take a range of other actions meant to disrupt and put pressure on policymakers.
Unions in other French industries have also flagged strike action as a possibility to show solidarity. The latest escalation and possible action at the capital have caused the French government to intensify its efforts to quell the growing unrest.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin revealed during an emergency meeting at 7 p.m. on Jan. 28 that over 15,000 police officers and paramilitary gendarmes have been mobilized to prevent further escalation and prevent the proposed siege of Paris, while expressing “understanding” towards the farmers’ protest.
“The posture remains the same: the police must act with great moderation,” he said.
According to Mr. Darmanin, orders have been given to stop the blockades of Rungis International Market, protect Paris airports, and prevent any convoy of farmers from entering the capital and any other big city, which would be considered crossing a red line. Helicopters are monitoring the known conveys of farmers en route.
However, Mr. Darmanin said it’s a real possibility that all eight highways heading to Paris will be blocked, urging car and truck drivers to anticipate blockades in the coming days.
Prime Minister’s Efforts to Appease Farmers Falls Flat
“I want us to clarify things and see what extra measures we can take to meet farmers’ complaints that they face unfair competition,” he said.
“I am determined to move forward, move forward resolutely, move forward quickly.”
Previously, Mr. Attal said the scheme to phase out state support on diesel would be scrapped and red tape simplified. He planned to apply for a waiver with the European Union on bloc-wide rules on fallow land as well.
Mr. Attal also announced that France would remain opposed to signing the Mercosur free-trade deal, which farmers say will flood the country with cheaper Latin American meat and produce.
Opposition leader Marine Le Pen of the National Rally said in comments to local media that the farmers were protesting the policies of “Macron’s Europe” and the Members of Parliament who voted for “all of the free trade agreements,” adding they were now seeing the challenges posed to farmers fighting against unfair competition.
Some farmers were happy with the proposals but many more were not. FNSEA and the Jeunes Agriculteurs said that the protests would continue because the government’s plan didn’t go far enough to address other issues like “water management,” “economic viability,” and “anxiety” among farmers.
“Gabriel Attal responded to 1 percent of the problem, since he lifted one barrier out of 100,” said Sébastien Chenu, vice president of the National Rally.
FNSEA President Arnaud Rousseau said Mr. Attal’s announcements have “not calmed the anger, we need to go further.”
Meanwhile, the general secretary of the Pas-de-Calais FDSEA branch, Lucie Delbarre, said the situation is at a delicate stage and could explode at any minute.
“We have a government that doesn’t care about its farmers; as you can see, it’s a pressure cooker ready to explode,” Ms. Delbarre said.
France isn’t the only country in the grips of civil unrest at the moment over globalist policies biting into local farmers’ hip pockets. In recent weeks, protests have been spreading across agricultural heartlands in the European Union. Farmers in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, and Romania have all staged protests as well.
All are voicing similar concerns to their French counterparts, such as restrictive environmental regulations and increases in taxes on diesel fuel, which they rely on to run their equipment.
