The hemicycle was sparse this Thursday, April 4 in the evening. And the majority deputies can blame themselves: there were not enough of them to oppose the environmentalist bill, put forward by the deputy for Drôme Marie Pochon, in favor of floor prices for farmers. The Assembly therefore approved the text at first reading, by 89 votes to 66, despite the government’s opposition.
The RN abstained, affirming through the voice of Grégoire de Fournas to have “always been for floor prices” but regretting the absence in the text of “devices to regulate the margins” at the risk of feeding “the food inflation. LR was almost absent from the debate, but MP Pierre Cordier expressed his disagreement with the text.
To “guarantee a decent income for farmers”, the environmentalist text provides for a minimum purchase price set by “a public conference” in the sectors that wish it, or by decision of the government in the event of disagreement. It indicates that the prices thus determined make it possible to remunerate farmers up to twice the minimum wage, the minimum price being able to be reviewed every four months.
“Inoperative” device for the executive
The bill, which takes up a measure proposed in a text from France Insoumise (LFI) narrowly rejected in the chamber last November, also echoes the words of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, who had set an objective of “floor prices” during his stormy visit to the Agricultural Show in February, against a backdrop of peasant anger.
On the bench for the government, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Agriculture Agnès Pannier-Runacher vigorously rejected the proposed system Marie Pochon, deeming it “inoperative”, even if the government “fully shares (her) concern” as to the income of farmers. “The path leading to administered prices must be ruled out” because it is not the government which “can determine the price for an economic sector,” she said. In addition, “the establishment of a minimum price which by definition would only apply to national production, could favor imported products to the detriment of our farmers”, she underlined.
During the debates which dragged on, the majority sometimes gave the impression of playing for time to avoid going as far as voting on the law. “They are embarrassed by a system announced by the President of the Republic,” analyzed the environmentalist deputy during the dinner break. MoDem MP Bruno Millienne particularly stirred up tempers, accusing environmentalists of “wanting to redeem their conscience, after having pissed off farmers for decades, but it doesn’t work”.
“Yes, we are environmentalists, we are proud and we stand alongside the farmers. The reality is that you do not take responsibility for your vote” (against floor prices), reacted the president of the environmental group, Cyrielle Chatelain.