PARIS: French farmers have escalated their protests across the country, targeting major highways and planning to blockade the capital, Paris.
The demonstrations, fueled by grievances over insufficient income, red tape, and environmental policies, aim to draw attention to the challenges faced by the agriculture sector in the European Union’s largest producer.
The ongoing protests involve farmers using tractors and trucks to block roads, causing traffic disruptions nationwide. In a bid to intensify their pressure, farmers plan to establish eight chokepoints along the major arteries leading to Paris on Monday afternoon.
In response, the French government has deployed 15,000 police and paramilitary gendarmes to maintain order. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin urged the security forces to exercise moderation while cautioning farmers against interfering with strategic locations.
Darmanin emphasized the government’s commitment to preventing damage to public and commercial properties, including government buildings, tax collection centers, and grocery stores. He also stressed that protests should not impact critical infrastructure such as airports, including Charles de Gaulle and Orly, and the Rungis international wholesale food market.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, during a visit to a farm on Sunday, acknowledged farmers’ concerns and pledged to consider additional measures to address their complaints about unfair competition. Despite concessions announced on Friday, the crisis continues to escalate, prompting the government to take steps to prevent the unrest from spreading ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections in June, a crucial test for President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
The farmers’ unions, FNSEA and Jeunes Agricultueurs, plan to commence their siege of Paris around 2:00 pm on Monday, adding to the disruptions on French roads. Meanwhile, taxi drivers have also joined the protests, staging a go-slow movement to highlight concerns about inadequate remuneration for transporting patients for French health services.
The protests have created mayhem on French roads, with taxi drivers’ demonstrations causing slow traffic on motorways, including the A13 leading into Paris. In neighboring Belgium, farmers have initiated their own campaign, blocking a key motorway, echoing similar demands for better working conditions.
The grievances expressed by French and Belgian farmers resonate with recent protests in Germany, Poland, Romania, and the Netherlands, reflecting a broader trend of agricultural unrest across Europe.
