Agricultural revolt is sweeping Europe. Huge protests in several countries. “The Siege of Paris”

they speak with one voice throughout Europe. They protest against rising production costs and the import of cheap food. They also oppose the EU’s favoring of Ukrainian processors and farmers, as well as European climate policy, which threatens this branch of the economy. Individual demands vary depending on the country, e.g. the dandelion crisis was a key factor in the protests, and Spaniards complain about bureaucracy and regulations limiting production. Nevertheless, it is clear that farmers are rebelling against the EU.

Farmers lay siege to Paris

Let’s start with , where the situation seems most dramatic. On Tuesday, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal delivered an exposé in the National Assembly, in which he said, among other things, that France would continue to fight unfair competition. – This is a key challenge for our farmers – he said. However, this did not satisfy the farmers themselves, who announced they would continue their protests throughout the country. Tractor convoys, which have been conducting the so-called “siege of Paris” since Monday, are approaching the capital.

“No specific answers, incomprehensible attitude of the government, weak and empty words” – this is how protesting farmers react to yesterday’s speech by the Prime Minister. First of all, they demand a fight against unfair competition and an end to the import of cheap products from . On Tuesday, the Prime Minister assured that he would fight for their interests on the European arena, but his words did not calm down the mood among farmers.

The authorities in France are trying to act

In turn, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the European Union’s policies should not be blamed for farmers’ problems. He reminded that a lot had been done to help them in recent years. – It would be too easy to blame Europe for everything, said the French president, adding that agriculture’s problems are structural and cyclical. However, he admitted that matters such as the import of poultry from Ukraine should be better regulated at the level.

On the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, protesters created new roadblocks on highways closer to Paris. Now they are located within a radius of 15 to 30 kilometers from the city center. The authorities are also afraid of blocking the food exchange in Rungis, which is key for Paris. Police armored vehicles are trying to stop a column of 200 tractors from the south of France that is approaching this place.

Farmers also announce a blockade of other cities, for example Lyon. They continue to paralyze traffic on many roads across the country. – There is no question of throwing them out, but we expect that there will be no blockade of Rungis, the airports and that they will not enter Paris or other cities – Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told France 2 television. The authorities estimate that about 10,000 farmers took part in the protests.

Protests also in Belgium

Meanwhile, farmers blocked roads to the container port in Zeebrugge. Protest organizers say they want to block Belgium’s second largest port for 36 hours. According to the port authorities, protesters are letting some of the trucks through. Representatives of the Belgian farmers’ union said they were very desperate and the union had long warned the government that there would be protests. Farmers are demanding food prices that match the rising production costs associated with new environmental standards.

Earlier, farmers blocked highways in the country. There were at least 400 tractors in several places. -We used to deal with agriculture, now we deal with bureaucracy – commented the protesting farmers and emphasize that it is impossible to make a living from earnings in agriculture. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo tried to calm the protesting crowd, saying that the agricultural sector is “the backbone of society and an essential part of the economy that absolutely has a future in the country and in the European Union,” he quotes.

Italy, Spain and Lithuania on the list of protesters

We should also add . to the list of protesting countries. There, as described by the Italian agency, the exit from the A1 motorway in Orte, north of Rome, was blocked, where farmers with tractors and other agricultural machinery gathered at a roundabout. Protests also took place in Udine in the northern region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, where about 70 farmers on tractors gathered for a spontaneous protest and then marched out in a line. Farmers in Sardinia are also protesting.

Revolutionary attitudes are spreading to other European countries. The three main Spanish farmers’ unions have announced they will join the pan-European protest. The Asaja (pronounced Asaha), UPA and COAG trade unions have stated that the agricultural sector in Europe is facing increasing frustration due to difficult production conditions and bureaucracy caused by European regulations. The headquarters did not provide further information about the planned protests.

The protests behind them (for now) include, among others: Lithuania, although it was hot there too. Last week, the farmers’ protest lasted several days there. Over a thousand tractors entered the center of Vilnius. Some of them were placed along one of the most important streets in the city. Farmers demonstrated in the city center, and posters read “Your village is dying” or “No farmers, no food, no Lithuania.”

Farmers in Lithuania decided to take to the streets because they are dissatisfied with the regulations regarding the restoration of permanent grassland and the increase in excise tax. They do not like the ongoing milk crisis and want the milk purchase price not to be lower than the production price. The problem they point to is also grain from Russia and Ukraine. Farmers demand that its transit through Lithuania be stopped.

Will the topic of farmers come up in Brussels?

“” describes that the topic of agriculture will be discussed by state leaders during the next European Union summit in Brussels. Unofficially, it is said that some countries are to create a common front and demand greater flexibility from the EU regarding agricultural products. Preparations to coordinate these activities are currently underway.