angry farmers call on government to “keep its promises”

4 mins

Farmers back on the streets. Nine months later, the tractors are back in the city center from Amiens.

For the occasion, Romain Cortet brought out a t-shirt bearing the logo of his union, the National Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FNSEA): “ This t-shirt is a relic of last winter’s protests, but it’s still relevant : “Proud to feed you”. There is also : “We walk on our heads”because we always walk on our heads! We are here to recall the promises of the former government which must be kept by the new one. », he explains to our special correspondent in Amiens, Nicolas Feldmann.

Because if progress has been noted by the unions, as with aid for farmers in difficulty or administrative simplification, the account is still not there, for Vincent Dollet. “ Today, we have traceability in France. We’re just making paper. And it’s a constraint. Most of the people who are here today came already, a short year ago. We had big promises from politicians, and today, nothing has come to fruition », deplores this cereal grower.

The movement “ will harden from week to week »

But above all it is the resumption of discussions on the free trade treaty with the Latin American common marketMercosur, which remobilized Sébastien Chabailles. “ We are going to import poultry which is full of hormones. And you have to realize that the cattle there are on the assembly line, they are gigantic farms. This is unfair competition! Our approach last winter was already that. And today, we are still there », is indignant this breeder in Picardy.

He promises: “This will harden from week to week. » The movement will therefore gain momentum. “ We have to defend our livelihood, we have no choice… », he concludes.

Also readFarmers, budget, social: a high-risk sequence begins for the French government

“ We can no longer see where we are going »

As of the evening of Sunday, November 17, several farmers were already mobilized in Vélizy-Villacoublay, near Paris. And as in Amiens, everyone said they were ready to demonstrate in the long term, they told our special correspondent in Vélizy-Villacoublay, Baptiste Coulonwhile a thirty tractors were stopped on the national road.

Printing for these farmers to have gone back a yearto start from scratch, believes Antoine: “ Clearly, we were cheated. We had lots of promises. Everything was dissolved at the time of dissolution. We can no longer see where we are going “. A lack of perspective while the demands remain: “ This has not progressed, and here we still have this additional agreement. So it’s worse than last year “.

Unfair deal?

The Mercosur agreement denounced by all is disloyal, in Romain’s eyes: “ For consumers, because they will no longer have traceability and no more quality. And for the producers, because we are not given the means to be able to produce like Germany can, like Spain can “.

However, Emmanuel Macron is opposed to the agreement. But can France prevent his signature ? Few believe it. “ I think he is not the only one to decide at European level », opines a demonstrator. “ He will say yes and at the same time, he will say no. He knows how to do that very well, so it doesn’t work at the same time. On Mercosur, it’s no and it’s no », adds another.

A firm opposition and the promise to be heard in the coming days, warns Louis: “ This is the first warning shot to show that we are ready. This could gain momentum “. For Romain, there is even no doubt: “ Many of our colleagues are still in the fields, they are sowing. When the work has progressed well, we will be more and more “. He says he is ready to mobilize more than a year ago. “ We have no choice for our survival, we must fight “. And several weeks, if necessary.

Also readEnrico Somaglia: “The EU-Mercosur agreement makes no sense from a social, environmental and commercial point of view”