Farmers’ mobilizations resume this Monday, February 19 and must continue until the opening of the Agricultural Show scheduled for this weekend. A way for unions to put pressure on the government.
“The anger is still there,” warns the president of the FNSEA, the main agricultural union, Arnaud Rousseau. A new warning from the agricultural world issued on Monday February 19 on Europe 1 less than a week before the Agricultural Show and as mobilizations resume. This declaration, like the demonstrations of farmers who are organizing, must put pressure on the government with the objective of observing the first concrete effects of the measures announced by Gabriel Attal at the end of January. Although some of the measures are being implemented, it is not going fast enough in the eyes of farmers.
As soon as the government measures were announced, the unions set the deadline of February 24, the opening date of the Agricultural Show, as the final deadline to see the effects. This deadline is still relevant and Arnaud Rousseau warned last week that the “quality” of Emmanuel Macron’s traditional visit to the Salon will depend on the results visible on the ground between now and this weekend.
Mobilizations leading up to the Agricultural Show
Farmers’ mobilizations resumed this Monday, February 19, notably in Bouches-du-Rhône, where a convoy was formed and set off on the A51 and the D6 towards Marseille, at the call of the FDSEA and Young Farmers of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. The demonstrators must join the offices of the Draaf (Regional Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Forestry) and those of the Dréal (Regional Directorate of the Environment, Planning and Housing) to then win Prefecture.
It is not only in Marseille that mobilizations are taking place, demonstrations are being organized in Guingamp and even in Tarbes. In the towns of the Hautes-Pyrénées, the unions are planning mobilizations every day of the week to maintain pressure until the Agricultural Show. Other scattered actions carried out by the departmental branches of the unions are to take place throughout the week.
And during the Show?
Will these mobilizations end up winning the Show? Some unions, notably local branches, are calling for a rally in Paris for the opening of the event, but the main union organizations are not defending the idea of mobilization during the Show. They favor actions against politicians to disrupt their visit and continue to put pressure on them. The visits of Emmanuel Macron, Gabriel Attal, the Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau and his delegate minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher, risk being particularly targeted. The president of the FNSEA warns that this Show “will not be like the others” especially for the expected politicians: “The President of the Republic will first have to say what he intends to do and also hear the annoyance. Nobody imagine that he could parade down the aisles without having a strong statement.” But the Agricultural Show must remain the showcase of the agricultural world according to Arnaud Rousseau: “Let us not confuse what is the life of the Show with the promotion of our products with the political moment which will not be a moment like the others ” and who will be filled with expectations.
The organizer of the Show hopes that no mobilization will disrupt the smooth running of the event. “Obviously, it’s the farmers’ show, obviously we understand the demands (…) and the demonstrations. But the demonstrations, [c’est] not at the show,” explained Arnaud Lemoine, boss of the organization that owns the show on BFMTV. The man wants to guarantee a good welcome to visitors, a desire shared by the unions who want to maintain the support of the French.
Signs of affection from Attal and Macron
The farmers’ strategy of putting pressure on the government appears to be working, as the Prime Minister takes every opportunity to reassure the agricultural community. Gabriel Attal thus received the unions and went to a farm in the middle of last week to ensure the government’s progress on the promised measures. He also instructed the prefects to renew dialogue with farmers. Emmanuel Macron also met some of the unions and is due to receive the FNSEA and the Young Farmers this Tuesday, February 20, an annual meeting but which is being held in a particular context this year. As for the Minister of Agriculture, he is responsible for highlighting the government’s progress while recalling the deadlines necessary for the implementation of certain measures. If the government tries to calm things down, the minister still estimated that “serenity” would “not necessarily” be there during the Agricultural Show, on Sunday February 18 on France Inter. And according to the Rural Coordination contacted by franceinfoMarc Fesneau “is right to be a little worried”