/ world today news/ The protests of farmers dissatisfied with the policies of the authorities in the EU countries do not subside. In France, tractors block highways and central city streets. They threaten to blockade Paris. Brussels and national governments are looking for a way out of the crisis.
Blockage of the tractor
French farmers believe that government-imposed environmental protection measures are making them uncompetitive. “We will not stop until we achieve our goal,” commented Novosti Kristof, one of the participants in the mass protests.
The head of the French National Federation of Agricultural Trade Unions (FNFSS) Arnaud Rousseau also criticized the policies of Paris and Brussels regarding Ukrainian imports. According to him, quotas are necessary. Uncontrolled discounts lead to unfair competition in the domestic market, and in addition, products from Ukraine do not meet European standards.
According to the FNFSS, more than 72,000 farmers across the country protested last week. About 41 thousand tractors participated in the actions. The Ministry of the Interior speaks of ten thousand protesters.
Barricades of haystacks, piles of manure and tires blocked the main transport routes. The authorities mobilized 15,000 police and gendarmerie to prevent a siege of the capital and major cities. Several dozen people were detained.
The trials of power
In the midst of the unrest, Emmanuel Macron calmly continued his international tour, entrusting young Prime Minister Gabriel Atal to deal with the situation. In India, the French president refused to comment on the protests. Two days later he was already in Sweden. Journalists believed that he would interrupt the trip, but this did not happen.
Those close to the head of state point out: Macron has always acted decisively if the situation required it, but now there is no need for it. He hopes for a compromise and plans to express his disagreement with the head of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen over the trade agreement with the countries of the South American Common Market (MERCOSUR), which farmers consider disadvantageous.
He will also talk about Ukrainian imports. “I will ask for concrete measures for our farmers,” Macron stressed. According to him, the European Union needs a policy compatible with the principles of “food sovereignty”. At the same time, EC spokesman Eric Mamer said that Brussels will continue to seek an agreement with MERCOSUR.
Atal said in parliament: “There is and must be a French agricultural exception.” He did not specify what he meant. In response, the farmers threatened to approach Paris.
The protest does not end
Spain’s three main agricultural unions joined the protests. The agricultural sector in the country and in Europe is troubled by difficult conditions, cheap imports and “suffocating bureaucracy generated by EU regulations”, they note in a special appeal. Belgian farmers have vowed to lay siege to Brussels. Protests continue in Germany as well.
“This summer there will be elections for the European Parliament, so Macron must do something – explains political scientist Alexei Makarkin. “Otherwise, the votes will go to Marine Le Pen. These are actually pre-election protests. It is very important which parties will form the European Commission .The right, which opposes the green agenda, wants to take advantage of the situation.
Europe’s environmental policies may need to be softened, he continues. “Otherwise, the right will succeed. Macron and other European politicians must act proactively. The green agenda will remain, but most likely the scale and pace of its implementation will be revised. The question is how much this will suit the protesters,” concludes the expert.
Agrarian policy is the prerogative of national governments, adds Nikolay Topornin, Associate Professor of the Department of European Law at MGIMO. “Each country solves problems according to its own capabilities. The background of the conflicts is different for everyone. The French rely on the inexperience of the new prime minister, who, no matter how much he wants, will not be able to give what they want,” he claimed.
The authorities are trying to make concessions. “In France and Eastern Europe, there is a problem with the supply of cheap agricultural products from countries outside the common market. Macron spoke about the need to solve this problem. Quotas and tariffs are necessary. But if Ukraine is not a member of the European Union and with it there are a separate conversation, there is a separate issue with Spain and Portugal, where imports also come from,” the political scientist points out.
Experts agree that the main reason for the imbalance in the European agricultural market is overproduction. The surplus today is simply destroyed. Mass protests are likely to resume in the spring.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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