The farmers’ unions want to maintain the pressure with mobilizations until the Agricultural Show. The event should also be held “under high tension”, particularly during the visits of Macron and Attal.
The annual meeting of the agricultural world in Paris risks being disrupted. About ten days before the opening of the Agricultural Show, scheduled from February 24 to March 3, the farmers’ unions are not giving up the idea of taking advantage of the event to put further pressure on the State . If they have obtained a whole series of measures and promises from the Prime Minister aimed at simplifying their activity and guaranteeing and protecting their income after two weeks of blockages at the end of January, agricultural representatives are now demanding concrete action.
Arnaud Rousseau, the president of the leading agricultural union, the FNSEA, has been issuing warnings to the government since the start of the week. Again this Thursday, February 15 on RTLthe trade unionist warned that the pressure will be maintained “as long as the commitments [du gouvernement] will not be held”. If he does not explicitly mention a form of mobilization during the Salon, he does not exclude it either. A way of influencing those in power who knows how to reassure with “declarations or broad phrases” , but Arnaud Rousseau reminded on behalf of farmers that “what we want is for the announcements to come to fruition […] on our farms.
An Agricultural Show “under high tension”
Until the opening of the Agricultural Show, the unions, for the most part, have no intention of “relieving the pressure”. On the contrary, mobilizations could be organized occasionally with less intensity. One of them took place on Wednesday February 14 in Agen with the spilling of slurry in front of several bank branches. Other actions “mainly initiated by the Peasant Confederation” could take place according to a note from the intelligence services dated February 13 and consulted by BFMTV. Among them, mobilizations “targeting Lactalis or Savencia dairy companies are mentioned, as well as the McDonald’s brand in certain departments” and more broadly “public buildings”.
It is still in this logic of targeted actions that the agricultural unions plan to disrupt the Show. They do not wish to prevent the event from taking place, but want to oppose and disrupt the visits of political figures, particularly “those supporting the government or left-wing parties”, specify the intelligence services. The traditional trip of the President of the Republic and that of the Prime Minister could be the target of mobilizations and disruptions. Some departmental branches of the unions announce “a poor reception” or even no reception at all at their stand. If the Agricultural Show could take place “under high tension”, the note also warns against a continuation and intensification of mobilizations after the event.
“We must continue to move forward” recognizes Attal
The government’s concern is reflected in the positioning and statements of the Prime Minister. After having gone further than expected on the measures announced to satisfy the demands of angry farmers, Gabriel Attal is striving to show that his government is at work and “progressing” on its commitments. Taking the example of the simplifications promised to farmers, of the “ten measures” announced “four decrees have already been issued” and three others will be issued “in the coming days”. Other measures, notably a bill, are expected by farmers. “I perfectly understand the expectation and impatience of our farmers, our breeders, and our challenge is to respond to them,” assured the Prime Minister this Thursday, February 15 during a trip to a farm in the Marne, specifying that farmers are fully aware that certain projects necessarily take a little longer.
To continue to convince and contain the mobilizations of farmers, Gabriel Attal insists on the importance of “always maintaining dialogue, because we must be able to be held accountable”. And the strategy is at work since the head of government met the FNSEA and the Young Farmers on February 12, while Emmanuel Macron met with the Peasant Confederation and the Rural Coordination on February 13. This last union organization has also sent a more positive signal than the others, ensuring that the Head of State has “taken the measure” of the crisis.