Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the agricultural show in a more peaceful climate than in 2024, despite arrests of farmers opposed to the agreement between the EU and Mercosur. At the same time, the agricultural orientation law must be passed this week in the Senate.
The president’s visit to the first day of the Agricultural Show, this Saturday, February 22, took place in a much more peaceful climate than in 2024. At the call of the main agricultural organizations, including FNSEA, in favor of ‘A more serene fair, the head of state inaugurated the event by adopting the line of tranquility desired by the main union of the sector.
“In general I call for calm and respectful dialogue. We know that there are many farmers in difficult situations. There is a suffering that is there in certain territories, in certain sectors. […] But calm is the right answer, “he assured when arriving on the spot. The agricultural show” went wrong last year “, but” now we are in something else. (…) We ardently wish that this year, it happens better, “defended Arnaud Rousseau, the president of the FNSEA, on Franceinfo.” We have been supported by the French for a year. And welcome them in a moment of conviviality to taste our products and see our animals, it seems important to us, “he explains.
Emmanuel Macron challenged by the FNSEA
The head of state subsequently met the lounge mascot, Oupette, a Limousine cow and listed advances in the legislative component after the farmers’ crisis. “We are mobilized behind French agriculture. This week an important text of law ended its legislative journey, it was a commitment that I had made,” he defended. The law of agricultural orientation, voted this week in the Senate, emphasizes simplification in order to meet the expectations of farmers, while arousing the anger of environmental defense associations.
Emmanuel Macron was arrested by FNSEA farmers, determined to draw his attention to the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur. Brandishing signs with slogans such as “”Let’s eat French “,, “No Mercosur” or “Emergency sovereignty”these farmers have made their demands heard, as reported by the agricultural union on its X account.
“Agriculture and our farmers cannot be the adjustment variable for purchasing power, or the adjustment variable for trade agreements,” said the Head of State.
The peasant confederation deplores too fast exchange
Emmanuel Macron also met the four main farmers’ unions, including the peasant confederation, which deplores “an extremely fast exchange”. He “did not really answer our questions,” regretted Véronique Marcheseau, secretary general of the union on Franceinfo.
On the sidelines of his visit, the president also mentioned other files such as that of his trip to Washington on Monday, February 24. Emmanuel Macron must speak with Donald Trump who plans to impose customs duties on many European products. “I’m going to talk to him because we need to appease all this (…) Between allies, we cannot make the other suffer with prices,” he said.
The president also mentioned the loss of the TNT frequency of NRJ12 and C8 channels and said it was “not a political decision”. “The law has been conceived so that it is not a political decision: it is not in arbitrariness, neither of a minister, nor of the president, to open or close a channel,” he explain. “There is specifications and the law is applied by an authority that looks at”, “under the control of judges” with “a right to appeal”.