French farmers have threatened to keep their protests going as long as necessary and have accused President Emmanuel Macron’s globalist administration and the European Union’s environmental agenda of being responsible for the increasing unrest in rural areas.
The farmers have announced their intention to keep blocking highways with tractors until the end of the week and possibly longer if the government disregards their demands. This follows on the heels of political victories achieved by Dutch farmers last year, recent uprisings in Germany, and decades of similar protests in France.
Protests of a similar nature have occurred all around France, and hundreds of farmers have been obstructing a highway near Toulouse since late Thursday afternoon.
The farmers’ primary demand is that the elites in Brussels and Paris honor their way of life.
In terms of specific actions, they have demanded that the European Union and their government ease their burdensome environmental restrictions, including addressing the tariffs on farm fuel.
Furthermore, French farmers have voiced their displeasure with unfair competition, claiming that food imported from countries with lower labor costs and fewer regulations is undercutting their pricing. This includes food from Ukraine, to which the European Union granted tariff-free access to its single market last year. Laws governing the yearly price discussion between significant grocery chains and farmers have not been enforced, which has worsened the situation.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who took office last week, has pledged to announce the first changes to agricultural policy within the week. However, whether or not the government can win back the trust of rural communities in time for the June European Parliament elections—a time when farming is expected to emerge as a significant political issue across the bloc—remains uncertain.
Like in Germany and the Netherlands, the French extreme right has joined forces with the farmers’ protesters. On a weekend visit to wineries, National Rally President Jordan Bardella said that his party is the defender of farmers. But Bardella argued that Macron’s Europe desired the extinction of the agricultural sector.
