French farmers stage tractor protests in Paris on eve of Agriculture Fair

Two tractor convoys caused traffic jams on motorways leading to Paris on Friday as they rolled towards the city centre. The action comes a day before France's annual Agriculture Fair, where President Emmanuel Macron risks getting booed by farmers upset over soaring costs.

French farmers drive tractors through Paris ahead of the opening of the Agriculture Fair on 23 February, 2024. AFP - MIGUEL MEDINA

Nicolas Bongay, who heads the Coordination Rurale du Doubs collective that protects farmers interests, said the protests were happing because farmers in the regions were not being heard.

"So we are getting closer to the decision-makers," he said.

A group of tractors will convene in front of the Agriculture Fair in the early evening.

Debate debacle

A planned "grand debate" on Saturday between the government and farmers groups, meanwhile, has caused controversy.

Macron added fuel to the farmers' discontent by initially inviting the environmental NGO Soulèvements de la Terre, or Earths Uprisings (SLT), before uninviting them.

In March last year the government accused SLT of encouraging violence at protests near Sainte-Soline in western France, after clashes between police and activists over a controversial irrigation project.

Authorities said around 30 officers were injured, with one left in a coma. At the time the government described the group as "eco-terrorists" and attenpted to disband them.

The government reversed its decision to include SLT in the debate after Arnaud Rousseau, president of the largest farmers union, FNSEA, said he would not participate if the group was included.

The government "understands nothing about the farmers' issues", he said.

🔴 #Thread 1️⃣ Ce matin @rousseautrocy était l’invité du #FaceAFace avec @ApollineMatin 📺. Sur @RMCInfo et @BFMTV, le président de la #FNSEA a rappelé la détermination du monde agricole 🎙️ : "Non je n’irais pas grand débat. Je trouve que ce qui se passe est incompréhensible et le… pic.twitter.com/xOlfXscg2G

— La FNSEA (@FNSEA) February 23, 2024

• France to shut down climate NGO after protest violence

The debate will include union leaders, industry representatives and leaders of green groups. Agriculture Fair President Jean-Luc Poulain said he was looking forward to "vigorous" exchanges.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal tried to ease tensions with farmers on Wednesday by outlining the implementation of measures announced this month and promising a new law to better safeguard farmers' income.

EU-wide issue

While local grievances vary, farmers' protests in France and other European countries have exposed tensions over the impact on farming of a European Union drive to fight climate change and the opening of the door to cheap Ukrainian imports to help Kyiv's war effort.

Convoys of tractors disrupted traffic around Madrid on Wednesday as farmers protested against what they see as excessive red tape and insufficient state aid.

In Greece, thousands of farmers spent the night in front of parliament to protest against rising fuel and production costs.

French farmers attend a demonstration on the Pont Mirabeau ahead of the opening of the Agriculture Fair on 23 February, 2024. AFP - MIGUEL MEDINA

In France, farmers largely suspended weeks of protests that included blocking highways after Attal on 1 February promised new measures.

But they continue to insist they are not being paid enough and are choked by taxes, green rules and face unfair competition from abroad. The farmers have been pressing the government to show the first results of the emergency measures before the trade fair.

"We heard the farmers' call, we made commitments, we are keeping them," Attal told reporters.

France is wary of farmers' growing support for the far right ahead of European parliamentary elections in June.

(with newswires)