In Occitania, farmers continue their blockade on the A64, the government is mobilizing to try to appease them

Des manifestations d'agriculteurs partout en France? ici sur l'A64, là où tout a démarré. maxppp – Willy Moreau

The farmers' movement continues, particularly in Haute-Garonne. Gabriel Attal and several ministers intervened in the context of this crisis on Saturday January 20.

Traveling in the Rhône to meet the French, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal declared this Saturday January 20 that he wanted "to guarantee farmers that&#39 ;they can live from their work", facing the anger of the latter who protest against the precariousness of their activity.

For this, the Prime Minister wants"ensure that throughout the chain, with mass distribution, consumers, etc., there can be a fair share for farmers".

"There are laws which were passed in the previous mandate, Egalim 1, Egalim 2, other texts of law which allowed , I think, a certain amount of progress but I know that there are difficulties of application on certain measures", declared Gabriel Attal.

FNSEA and young farmers in Matignon Monday

Earlier, Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, announced that the State would "multiply controls" on respect for the Egalim law, during a meeting with wine growers in the Marne.

Gabriel Attal also announced that he would receive representatives of the FNSEA, the leading agricultural union, and the president of the Young Farmers on Monday in Matignon.

The Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, another member of the government on the ground, stressed the importance of simplifying administrative procedures for farmers, during ;a trip to the Cher department to meet professional agricultural organizations in Vierzon.

The FNSEA wants "concrete actions"

On BFM TV, Arnaud Rousseau, president of the FNSEA, called for "concrete actions from the government" and "profound changes over time". Friday, Emmanuel Macron asked the prefects to go this weekend to meet farmers to discuss "the issues they express close to the ground", said the Elysée.

Farmers continued the blockade of the A64 motorway between Toulouse and Tarbes, and the RN20 in Ariège, on Saturday in Occitanie, disrupting traffic.

Everywhere in Europe

The growls of farmers have been heard for several weeks and the latter have threatened a national-scale movement in the coming weeks, under the impetus of the FNSEA. 

Farmers' anger is spreading across Europe, particularly in Germany, Romania, Poland and the Netherlands, where farmers intend to express their exasperation in the face of growing insecurity.

As the Europeans approach…

As the European elections approach, in many EU countries, far-right parties are stepping up to defend farmers, and, at the same time, in opposition to the policies of the Green Deal wanted by Brussels. Because according to these radical right groups, European policy is at the origin and would in fact lead to the difficult situations experienced by farmers.

In France, the National Rally is not the last to take issue with these issues, notably its president Jordan Bardella, who, as of Wednesday, said, from Strasbourg, that he wanted to declare "the state of agricultural emergency".

An "economic patriotism" ?

Received by the Prime Minister on Friday, he asked him "to establish economic patriotism to protect our farmers".

This Saturday, the man who will occupy, as in 2019, the head of the list of his movement in the European elections on June 9 was traveling to a farm in Gironde where he deplored that "the farmers are no longer able to make a living from their work. "It’is the cry of a French people who do not want to die" he added.

"Europe wants to deprive us of our sovereignty"

"The Green Deal continues to kill our agriculture and our farmers. And free trade agreements are also to their detriment,” RN MEP France Jamet also supported this Saturday. According to Héraultaise, "we must reinstate economic patriotism, but the EU prevents us from doing so and the government has no will to do so".

And to stigmatize a "Europe which wants to deprive us of this sovereignty and this excellence of a great agricultural nation to which we are attached. And the misdeeds of this European policy also affect our fishermen, as they also affect our farmers and our winegrowers, all those whom we are the only ones to defend."