News Ticker

French farmers still determined to create blockades, Government flailing

January 29, 2024 GOVERNMENT 0

ER Editor:  Below is an update via bits and pieces from Politico.eu and Twitter/X on what has transpired so far over the French farmer protests. We had published this at the end of last week, with Paris facing the threat of a tractor & truck blockade. See —

Farmers’ unions announce a blockade of Paris from Friday January 26

Friday, our way was blocked driving out-and-back to Paris on the autoroute by police; only sideroads were accessible. Farmers stood no chance of getting on that road to interfere with traffic. The French government usually steps in in its heavy-handed way. The regions, however, may see some dramatic action.

***

As Politico below notes, the new kid playing at French PM, Gabriel Attal, a Macron mini-me, gets his first taste of national crisis. Some tweets —

Notice how the EU and free trade deals it has signed are getting the spotlight.  A useless French government can only point fingers. The case for Frexit builds.

Translation: GABRIEL ATTAL ADMITS THAT IT IS THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION (PERSONS NOT ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE) WHO IS GIVING THE ORDERS!! SO WHAT IS OUR GOVERNMENT FOR?? PUPPIES TO ORDERS! FREXIT IS MORE THAN URGENT!!

Translation: Behind the measures announced by Attal there remains the major subject, unresolved and constant for decades: the free trade treaties voted in the EU parliament which undermine our farmers by exposing them to crazy competition! We must denounce these treaties! And quick !

Translation: Gabriel #Attal traps himself alone this morning on a farm by promising “to fight against the unfair competition that certain countries are giving us”: and the farmers opposite cite 2 EU countries to him: Italy and Spain!  Attal will do absolutely nothing and he knows it! The EU formally prohibits any action to re-establish fair competition within the zone: no customs duties possible, no boost possible in public markets for our French agricultural production, no food patriotism possible, no quotas possible import, nothing nothing nothing! And with the other EU countries: free trade triumphs! Competition is also increasingly unfair as the EU signs free trade agreements: which it decides on its own given that trade is an “exclusive competence” of the EU!  If Attal were honest he would answer the peasants that he can do absolutely nothing and that he will do absolutely nothing…unless we leave the EU and destroy this monster! #Frexit #AgriculteursEnColere

Translation: On the communications side, Gabriel Attal has succeeded in his baptism of hay. Basically, his announcements are close to nothing. In short, nothing new in macronie.

Translation: Announcement of the “siege of #Paris ” from this Monday at 2 p.m. “All roads leading to the capital will be blocked”! Total unanimity on this action! Tractors from the South West will reinforce the thousands of tractors already positioned in Île de France! (see: francebleu.fr/infos/economie ) – Parallel reconstruction of all blockades throughout France – #BloquezRungis : blockade announced from this Monday by Rural Coordination! Let’s relay!  We must last 72 hours, the duration of food autonomy in Paris. Thousands of French people ready to support with their own vehicles! Clear the macronie and destroy the EU!

There is a promise to block roads coming into Paris today starting at 2pm. We’ll see. Yesterday, security was beefed up —

Translation: The clown Gérald (interior minister) is preparing to welcome the suffering of farmers with the CRS (riot police) this time. Bastard farmers who don’t want to stop their suffering after Attal’s lousy staging! You are not ready to compete with our power of nuisance, of despair.

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FROM FRIDAY

France axes tractor fuel hike, cuts red tape to appease angry farmers

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is looking for a way out of his first political crisis as farmers’ protests spread across the country.

GIORGIO LEALI AND VICTOR GOURY-LAFFONT for POLITICO.EU

PARIS — The French government on Friday promised to cut taxes on agricultural fuel and reduce bureaucracy in an attempt to calm farmer protests that are spreading across the country.

“We have decided to put agriculture above all the rest,” French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said as he outlined a first package of measures during a visit Friday to a farm in the Haute-Garonne department in southern France.

Attal pledged to freeze taxes on diesel fuel used by tractors and other agricultural machines in a step-back from measures announced last year, when Paris decided to progressively remove an existing fiscal advantage for agriculture diesel to foster the green transition and bring more money into state coffers.

Attal also promised to limit administrative hurdles for farmers by halving (from 4 to 2 months) the delay to launch a legal action against authorizations for farm works such as the expansion of a barn.

He also pledged to increase existing financial support to farmers and also to speed up the disbursement of cash under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

…

… A poll showed 82 percent of those surveyed backed the farmers’ protests. But only 17 percent thought the government had been up to the task in its handling of the situation.

“We don’t want to depend on others for our food,” Attal said on Friday, urging public authorities such as school canteens to buy French food. He reiterated France’s opposition to the EU-Mercosur trade deal and argued that free-trade deals are often ruled by “the law of the jungle,” maintaining that they don’t protect French farmers enough.

…

In the meantime, protests continue to spread, with new road blockades all over the country from the Franco-Spanish border to the outskirts of Paris, and increased violence as illustrated by the burning of a government building in the city of Narbonne during one of the demonstrations.

CONTINUE READING HERE

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FROM SUNDAY/YESTERDAY

French farmers plan ‘siege’ of Paris despite government concessions

Agriculture union leaders show no signs of backing down from escalating protests.

SARAH WHEATON for POLITICO.EU

The French government rushed to appease the country’s farmers on Sunday in a last-ditch bid to prevent a major blockade of the French capital this week. But agriculture union leaders showed no signs of backing down from their ongoing protests over a range of grievances related to taxes, regulations and prices.

Freshly minted French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal spent Sunday visiting a cattle farm in Indre-et-Loire, as Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau promised new measures would be unveiled as soon as Tuesday to address farmers’ concerns at both the EU and national level.

ER INSERTED TWEET – Macron is currently in India while Attal goes to the region of Indre-et-Loire —

Translation: I’m sure there was a lot of laughter from the Matignon teams while thinking about the territory of this com plan. Macron in India Attal chooses Indre-et-Loire

The ministers are trying to head off a promised “siege” of Paris by the farmers, with major roads around France already facing blockages.

Attal acknowledged Sunday that longstanding rules have been throwing “sticks in the wheels” and heaping new burdens on farmers over recent decades, and lamented that politics seemed to be pitting farmers against the environment. While he announced some concessions on Friday, Attal said he was well aware that the government had not yet addressed the issues at the root of the farmers’ grievances.”

…

CONTINUE READING HERE

Featured image source, farmers: https://www.fdesouche.com/2024/01/28/agriculteur-en-colere-la-fnsea-et-les-jeunes-agricoles-appellent-a-poursuivre-le-mouvement-apres-les-annonces-de-gabriel-attal/

Featured image source, Attal: https://twitter.com/f_philippot/status/1751565820822474981

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