Farmers have made protests in various regions of France to pressure the government to block a European Union Free Trade Agreement with South American countries, alleging risk of unfair competition.
Hundreds of tractors occupied dozens of cities and villages in the largest agricultural producer in Europe, serving the call of rural unions for a day of demonstrations against the pact with Mercosur. A group of about 20 vehicles parked in front of the gates of the Versailles Palace, under the statue of Louis XIV, the France Info said.
The demonstrations, organized by strong influence unions – who last year blocked cities in protest against cheap imports – expand the scenario of political turmoil in France after three government falls in 12 months. The new Prime Minister, Sébastien Leconnu, has been trying to elaborate an austerity budget for weeks.
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Arnaud Rousseau, president of Fnsea, said in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche on 14 September that the protest was mainly called against the agreement with Mercosur, but also in response to the tariffs imposed by the US President Donald Trump and the entry of products that do not respect French standards, such as Ukrainian eggs.
The European Commission published this month the final text of the Treaty, which needs approval of the European Parliament and of a qualified majority between the 27 member countries. The EU has accelerated negotiations to diversify trade agreements against the US protectionist turn under Trump.
Associations representing French meat, poultry, beet, sugar, ethanol and grain producers have stated in a joint statement that Paris should refuse to sign the treaty and seek a coalition with other EU countries to block ratification. The sector fears the entry of cheaper products and calls for guarantees that Latin American competitors comply with European sanitary and environmental rules, including antibiotics and pesticides.
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The unions stated that the safeguard clauses included in the final text are “only a smoke curtain”, as they are slow and complex to trigger, without offering real protection against Mercosur imports. The Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, praised the inclusion of these safeguards, but said that additional measures are still needed to fully protect French and European farmers.
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