Protests in Paris

Tractor blockades are continuing to cause chaos in Paris as protesters show their opposition to what they see as overly stringent environmental regulations, problematic red tape, and low wages. Yesterday, as many as 800 farmers blocked eight entrance points to France’s capital city with tractors and haybales in what some are calling an attempted ‘siege’.

French farmers also claim that government attempts to cut inflation have left them out-of-pocket and unable to transfer cost price increases to the consumer. As The Telegraph notes “trade deal negotiations with South America and imports from Ukraine, for which the EU has waived duties since Russia’s invasion, have fanned discontent around unfair competition”. This comes as the EU also explore measures which would look to ensure 4% of farmland remains fallowed, a policy which has been met with anger by many farmers.

With many farmers around the EU similarly disgruntled at the status quo, some are pondering over the risk of the protests spreading across the bloc. Smaller protests have already taken place in Germany, Poland and Slovakia.

The protesters are hoping that their latest efforts will put pressure on Paris to re-negotiate with Brussels. Indeed, over the last few days Macron has appeared to apply some pressure on the EU’s proposed trade deal with the South American Mercosur trading bloc. While the EU’s deal with Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay was reached in 2019, it has not been put into action given environmental concerns. Nevertheless, there is concern amongst many farmers that such a deal would undercut their work if passed.

With the protests causing ever-greater disruptions, yesterday the French PM met with the president of the country’s farming Union. All eyes are now on Macron’s next move vis-à-vis Brussels and the extent to which protests could spread across the continent.