[Article publié lundi 29 janvier 2024, à 7h21, mis à jour à 19h40] After a first day of blockades on the highways with a view to a “blockade” on Paris, the farmers did not take off. Eight tractor blockades were still active on Monday evening. And tomorrow morning, Tuesday, a battalion will leave in the direction of Rungis, south of the capital, where farmers from the Rural Coordination plan to arrive “Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning”.
Faced with this movement which risks taking hold, reminiscent of the yellow vests on roundabouts, “new measures will be taken tomorrow” in favor of farmers, announced the government spokesperson. “The Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau announced that new measures will be taken tomorrow” Tuesday, said Prisca Thevenot in her press report from the Council of Ministers.
The government representative further confirmed that Gabriel Attal would receive “this evening the representatives” agricultural unions.
A day of blockages
The day had already been punctuated by several motorway blockages throughout France. In detail, the Buchelay toll station in Yvelines (around 60 km northwest of Paris), the A13 motorway is blocked in the province-Paris direction. On the other side of the capital, in Jossigny (Seine-et-Marne), a blockage of the A4 also began with the installation of the first tractors on both sides of the central reservation. The city of Paris itself is not blocked, as is the vital market of Rungis (Val-de-Marne) and the Paris airports.
Watch live: French farmers are blocking a motorway in the north-central French town of Jossigny over a series of long-standing grievances, including low wages, burdensome regulations, fuel taxes, and EU environmental rules –
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 29, 2024
« The Prime Minister gave us an introduction, we would like him to continue working a little and provide us with a little more on other subjects », Declared Arnaud Lepoil, of the FNSEA, to AFP.
« No violence », assured the FNSEA
According to the gendarmerie, 30 departments are affected and 16 highways affected. Territorial intelligence counted a total of 25 blockages involving 1,710 farmers at midday, compared to 113 blockages on Friday and 17,500 farmers.
#ColereAgricole
➡️Since midday, farmers from the Confédération paysanne have gathered in Sainte-Marie-des-Champs near Yvetot, on the roundabout.
➡️ In Eure, blocking of the A13 between exits 16 (Douains) and 17 (St-Aubin / Gaillon) in both directions since 9:30 a.m. pic.twitter.com/RzNvZg2Txe— 76actu (@76actu) January 29, 2024
Questioned earlier in the morning on RTL, the president of the main union, the FNSEA, Arnaud Rousseau, assured that the capital “ will be surrounded by a certain number of tractor convoys, but at a good distance because we do not want violence “. According to him, farmers had to position themselves between 30 and 40 kilometers from Paris on the main highways.
Anger of farmers: for Young Farmers, “no cause justifies damage and violence”
« Moderation » requested from the police
In the Lyon region, mobilization has also resumed, according to the Rhône prefecture, which mentioned a snail operation from the Monts du Lyonnais, followed by motorway blockages. The local branches of the FNSEA and the JA promised “ ramifications throughout the region ».
A sign of the urgency of the situation at the highest summit of the State, a meeting took place at the Elysée, in the presence of several ministers, in the middle of the afternoon. Secondly, a Council of Ministers was scheduled for 4 p.m., before the departure of the Head of State to Sweden. Representative of the executive, in the absence of Emmanuel Macron, Gabriel Attal should receive the bosses of the FNSEA and Young Farmers from 6 p.m. this Monday.
If the government always shows tolerance towards actions, it is clear that the tone is intended to be firmer. On Sunday, the Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau professed a “ zero tolerance on violence and degradation “, while expressing doubt that blocking road access to Paris will serve the “ interests of farmers “. At the end of an interministerial crisis meeting, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin announced a “ moderation » asked of the approximately 15,000 members of the police forces mobilized who will not have to “ intervene on blocking points “, but the “ to secure ».
The minister explained that Emmanuel Macron had given “ for deposit ” of ” guarantee that tractors do not go to Paris and large cities so as not to create extremely serious difficulties ”, and also to ensure that the Rungis international market “ can operate as well as the Parisian airports of Orly and Roissy ».
« We call on everyone to be calm and determined. “, declared for his part Arnaud Rousseau, saying he did not want a tragedy like that of Pamiers (Ariège), where a farmer and her daughter were killed on Tuesday on a dam: ” No question of there being any other accidents “. He also urged the government to “ go much further » in its announcements in favor of the agricultural world.
Insufficient announcements for farmers
Last Friday, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal unveiled emergency measures, including the abandonment of the increase in the tax on non-road diesel (GNR), inflated compensation for breeders whose cattle have been affected by the disease epizootic hemorrhagic disease, with the aim of easing tensions. Ultimately, that won’t be enough.
« We didn’t cope well with what happened last week: the communications, the cameras, the straw bale and all that, it’s not our thing. What we need are decisions that we feel change the software », Launched Arnaud Rousseau in front of farmers blocking the A16 motorway near Beauvais (Oise).
According to the boss of the FNSEA, the sequence which opens is that of a “sweek of all dangers, either because the government does not hear us, or because the anger will be such that everyone will then take their responsibilities “. He also announced that he was “ foreseen » that he speaks with the Prime Minister during the day to discuss possible solutions to the agricultural crisis.
Attal resolved to “move quickly »
For his part, Gabriel Attal conceded “ that, through these first measures, we have not yet responded to everything that I have just mentioned and what constitutes the discomfort and uneasiness of our farmers today ». « And I am determined to move forward, move forward resolutely, move forward quickly », Declared the Prime Minister in La Riche (Indre-et-Loire).
Shortly before, on a farm north-east of Tours, Gabriel Attal was questioned on multiple aspects of the crisis: falling income, low pensions, administrative complexity, inflation of standards, foreign competition… ” I want us to clarify things and see what additional measures we can take on these stories of unfair competition. », assured the head of government.
Gabriel Attal details his plan to get out of the farmers’ crisis
The Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau confirmed Monday on France 2 that new measures would be announced “ within 48 hours (to) complete and show completeness » of the government’s response to a crisis « multiple ».
Oppositions head on against free trade and the CAP
On the opposition side, there was no shortage of opinions and criticism on this crisis this Monday. On BFMTV-RMC, the president of the National Rally Jordan Bardella called on Emmanuel Macron to defend French farmers in Brussels against “ german cars » in the long-term negotiations between the EU and Mercosur on a multi-sector free trade agreement.
« As long as Germany, in all the free trade agreements that are negotiated, puts all its weight behind it to continue to export German cars to the detriment of French agriculture, well Emmanuel Macron will sit empty chair. “, he pleaded this morning. As a reminder, in this negotiation with Mercosur, the EU wishes to be able to export more industrial goods and services to Latin American countries which for their part want greater access to the European agricultural market.
Food prices: farmers’ anger puts mass distribution under pressure
On the left, Raphaël Glucksmann, probable head of the Socialist Party list in the European elections, calls for an overhaul of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), in an interview with the regional daily West France. « The European Union must stop being the turkey of the farce of international trade », he judges. For the MEP, the situation of French farmers is primarily linked to “ unfair trade policies » which puts them in competition « with farmers from the ends of the world who are not subject to the same rules as them “. And to denounce the fact that “public aid primarily benefits the largest operators”.
Several ports blocked in Germany
Across the Rhine, the mobilization of farmers is still as active as ever. This Monday, the latter blocked the traffic routes leading to several German ports: that of Hamburg (north), that of Jade-Weser-Port (in Lower Saxony) and a container port near the town of Wilhelmshaven. Columns of hundreds of tractors also caused traffic disruptions throughout downtown Hamburg, while a farmers’ demonstration was held in front of the station, the authorities added.
These actions are part of a massive mobilization movement by German farmers, who have been opposing for several weeks against the reform of taxation on agricultural diesel, which provides from 2026 for the removal of an exemption from which they benefited. They come after a period of failed negotiations between unions and government.
(With AFP)
2024-01-30 02:22:49
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