French farmers staged fresh protests on Tuesday against a proposed trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc, comprising four South American nations. While the French government has voiced strong opposition to the deal, the protesters are urging President Emmanuel Macron to take stronger action to protect their interests.
The deal, which would establish the world’s largest free trade zone, has become a flashpoint for growing dissatisfaction in the farming sector.
On Tuesday morning, more than 100 farmers set off from Beziers, a town in southern France, heading towards the French-Spanish border near Perpignan.
Their goal is to block traffic along major highways for several days.
As the convoy made its way along the A9 motorway, the procession included around 100 vehicles, among them six tractors. In Narbonne, they were joined by a dozen more cars.
Meanwhile, in Bordeaux, about 30 tractors gathered outside the regional authority’s headquarters, a symbol of the growing unrest in rural areas.
Despite the French government’s vocal opposition to the deal, farmers say President Emmanuel Macron and his administration are not doing enough to address their concerns.
The protests, which began earlier this year, are now gaining momentum, with many in the agricultural community accusing the government of failing to deliver promised support.
Farmers warned of 'zero tolerance' as France braces for week of protest
Blocking food freight
The FNSEA farming union and Jeunes Agriculteurs ("Young Farmers"), which together represent most farmers in France, backed the protests.
Hardline farmers' union Coordination Rurale threatened to step up pressure later this week and start blocking food freight, if no progress is made. The demonstrations are a continuation of broader frustrations within the agricultural sector.
On Monday, farmers staged more than 80 protests across the country, setting up mock gallows and wooden crosses to symbolise the death of French agriculture.
They also blocked the Bridge of Europe, which links France and Germany to protest against the European Commission's plan to conclude the Mercosur treaty following two decades of talks.
In Bordeaux, on the banks of the Garonne, several dozen farmers burned uprooted vines on Monday evening.
"Today, we are reigniting the flame of our fight," said Jerome Freville, a 60-year-old winegrower. "Be careful. We will not back down."
Low income, bureaucracy
French farmers complain about excessive bureaucracy, low incomes and poor harvests.
They say they have been waiting for the authorities to deliver on the promises of support made by the government before Macron dissolved parliament's lower house in the summer, sparking a political crisis.
The proposed EU-Mercosur free trade agreement has provoked fresh anger.
Farmers fear the deal would flood European markets with cheaper South American products that do not meet the same strict standards on pesticides, hormones, and environmental protections required of European producers.
Despite these concerns, Macron has reiterated that France is not alone in opposing the agreement.
Speaking in Brazil on Monday at the G20 summit, the French president stated that several other EU countries were joining France in its resistance to the deal.
Macron described the Mercosur accord as outdated, saying it was "based on preconditions that are now obsolete."
(with AFP)
