French President Emmanuel Macron was met with disapproval at the opening of the Paris Agricultural Fair on February 24, as disgruntled farmers expressed their dissatisfaction with his perceived lack of support. Macron’s scheduled visit to the annual event was disrupted when several dozen protesters breached security barriers and entered the site just as the president was arriving.
Farmers across France, including Paris, have been protesting for months, demanding improved living conditions, simplified regulations, and better protection against what they perceive as unfair foreign competition.
Police intervention and Macron’s response
In response to the protests, police in full riot gear were deployed at the Paris Agricultural Fair to prevent protesters from approaching Macron, who had a scheduled meeting with the heads of France’s main farmers’ unions. Protesters voiced their anger by chanting slogans calling for Macron’s resignation and blowing whistles.
Three weeks prior, farmers had lifted roadblocks around Paris and other parts of the country after the government offered more than €400 mn ($433 mn) in aid and tax breaks. Macron acknowledged the farmers’ anger but cautioned against any violence.
Macron’s promises to farmers
The French president decided to meet with groups of protesters separately. He promised that “floor prices” would be established for each product to “guarantee farmers’ income.” He also announced that an emergency plan to financially assist the most struggling farms would begin implementation on Monday.
Macron revealed that a meeting would be held at the Elysee presidential palace in March to develop “a plan for the future of farming” with farmers’ unions and other key players in the food industry.
Macron’s assurance to farmers
In response to a farmer’s request for assurance, Macron said, “You have grievances. You do not have a government that’s completely deaf… It’s not true that nothing’s been done.”
Despite the delay caused by the protest, Macron officially inaugurated the fair. He then interacted with farmers presenting their cattle and products, starting with Normandy cows and camembert cheese, while protesters could still sporadically be heard loudly whistling.
These protests come as farmers across Europe are protesting against EU agriculture policies, bureaucracy, and overall business conditions. Farmers argue that the 27-nation bloc’s environmental policies, such as the Green Deal, which calls for limits on the use of chemicals and greenhouse gas emissions, restrict their business and make their products more expensive than non-European Union imports.
On the eve of the Agricultural Fair, farmers on their tractors staged a demonstration in the streets of Paris.
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