The agricultural ‘siege’ began in Paris, with Macron’s government asking them to limit protests

This Monday, French farmers began the ‘siege’ of some of the main access roads to Paris, amid government warnings that this action must be limited and not harm the lives of citizens.

Since early afternoon, hundreds of tractors have started blocking several highways and national roads leading to the capital, although they have also done so in other major cities such as Marseille or Lyon.

“To put pressure on Paris is to put pressure on the government,” Maxime Lievin, treasurer of the regional branch of the agricultural union FNSEA, the country’s most important, clearly told EFE from a blocking post in Jossigny, which is closing the A4 highway for traffic: connecting Paris with the rest of the country.

Here, as in other blockades, farmers have taken tents, barbecues and lighting equipment to spend the night and, as they say, for as long as necessary.

government “red lines”.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on Sunday that there will be “no intervention” against the limited road closures, but he made it clear that there are “red lines” that farmers cannot cross: Blockages in front of the Rungis food market, the largest in Europe, or in front of the capital’s airports will not be tolerated.

Since this morning, a Gendarmerie riot unit equipped with tanks has been protecting Rungis (south of Paris), where traders and restaurants throughout the capital region, which has more than 12 million inhabitants, are supplied with fresh products.

Total, About 15,000 police officers from various armed forces have been mobilized across the country to control this protest.which has been allowed since it started almost two weeks ago with the blockade of the A64 highway in the south of the country on the 18th.

A convoy of tractors left the southern city of Agen today with the aim of blocking the Rungis market, although at the pace of these vehicles they will not arrive until tomorrow evening at the earliest.

Farmers are demanding measures at both national and European level to make their farms profitable, reduce bureaucracy and streamline administrative procedures.

They ask, among other things, for the abolition of mandatory set aside imposed from Brussels, for compliance with the law that forces the agri-food industry to pay fair prices or for a new, more flexible system to ensure that landfills are delivered on time (and no longer than a year). to collect. let) the subsidy for agricultural diesel.

Above all, they claim to be victims of unfair competition because they believe that many of the products coming from abroad are not obliged to meet the same health and environmental requirements that they must respect, something for which they ask the EU and the blame the government. . French.

New measures from the Executive Board from tomorrow

The Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, held a meeting today with a small group from the government, at the end of which the spokesperson for the executive branch, Prisca Thevenot, announced that new announcements will be made from tomorrow and in the coming days.

The protest has gained momentum today after the measures announced by Attal last Friday in the Haute-Garonne department where the protest began were considered insufficient by the various agricultural unions, who have decided to increase pressure on the executive.

In parallel with the national measures, the Elysée said today that President Emmanuel Macron will propose to the President of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, a series of changes to the common agricultural policy, in particular as regards the obligation to to leave. Leaving 4% of their land fallow.

In addition, France also wants to impose restrictions on the import of certain Ukrainian products, in particular chicken, eggs and sugar, which are allowed without tariffs and without the EU’s own rules as a support measure for Kiev for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (JO)