France: Farmers' Unions Call for End to Roadblocks

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Facts

  • Two of France's largest farmers' unions Thursday called on their peers to lift nationwide roadblocks after the government unveiled a second package of concessions. For two weeks, farmers were protesting across the country against low wages, strict regulations, and what they say is unfair competition from abroad.1
  • Arnaud Gaillot, president of the Young Farmers' (JA) Union, called for the blockades to be suspended, while Arnaud Rousseau, head of France's largest farmers' union, FNSEA, welcomed 'tangible progress' after the government announced emergency measures to provide financial aid to farmers and wine producers.2
  • Following weeks of blockades, Gaillot said the movement would now 'move to a new form of mobilization,' warning that both unions 'won't hesitate to resume a general mobilization' if necessary. Rousseau added that he expected the government to implement the 'initial results' by the end of the month.3
  • Earlier on Thursday, new French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal introduced a second set of emergency measures, including tens of millions of euros in aid and an immediate halt to food imports from non-EU countries using a pesticide banned in the bloc. Further measures include tax relief and a commitment not to ban pesticides in France that are approved elsewhere in Europe.4
  • Attal also stressed that France will not agree to an EU free trade agreement with the Mercosur trade group of Latin American countries. He added that Paris would propose the creation of a 'European control force' to counter fraud, specifically in health regulations, and combat the import of food products not complying with European and French health standards.5
  • Following an EU leaders' summit in Brussels, French Pres. Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said the EU's agricultural sector was in a serious crisis and called for rules to be 'profoundly' changed. As hundreds of farmers from across Europe blocked the streets outside the EU Parliament, he called for an EU mechanism guaranteeing supermarkets and food companies pay fair prices to producers.6

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2Euronews, 3Dw.Com, 4Associated Press, 5Quartz and 6Guardian.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by ft.com. As part of the EU, France can't meet the farmers' demands on its own. However, Paris is taking the farmers' protests seriously and is doing everything it can at the EU level to defend France's and Europe's food sovereignty. Moreover, to maintain competitiveness, France hasn't shied away from putting the issue of agricultural imports from Ukraine on the agenda. The protests are working, and Paris and Brussels are doing what they can.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The Telegraph. These protests address a fundamental problem with the EU: Brussels technocrats are pursuing an alleged 'green' future through policies that mainly benefit major retailers and agrochemical corporations. Meanwhile, farmers are facing increasing regulation and are struggling to make a living in the face of rising production costs and dropping revenues. The EU apparatus has detached itself from real people's lives.

Predictions