2024/01/31
Farmers' in their tractors protest against EU agricultural policy. Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Salvini from the right-wing governing party Lega blamed the EU Commission in Brussels for the protests.
Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/dpa
Greek farmers blocked the country's most important north-south motorway linking Athens and Thessaloniki with their tractors on Wednesday, while farmers also blocked some roads in Italy.
The Greek farmers were protesting against the rise in fertilizer and diesel prices, ERT News reported.
They also criticized the government because compensation for last year's severe natural disasters was too low and had not been paid out in some cases.
In 2023, there were severe fires and floods in parts of Greece, which destroyed farmland and crops in many places.
It is unclear how long the motorway blockade around 150 kilometres north of Athens will last.
Angry farmers had already protested in almost all regions in the past few days and temporarily blocked the most important border crossing to Turkey near the harbour town of Alexandroupolis.
According to the farmers' organizations, they are planning to paralyse the port city of Thessaloniki with their tractors in the coming days, where Greece's largest agricultural trade fair Agrotica is taking place from Thursday to Sunday.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis promised to support the farmers with special measures. However, he called on them not to harm the country with blockades.
"As serious as the demands of one professional group may be, they must not lead to the penalization of all citizens and violate the rights of society," he said on television.
Several hundred farmers also demonstrated in Italy on Wednesday against European agricultural policy and in favour of receiving state subsidies.
In various regions of the country, they obstructed road traffic with tractors. In some places, roads were completely blocked.
The regions affected included Tuscany, Lombardy and Calabria.
Protests also took place on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia.
Greek farmers blocked the country's most important north-south motorway linking Athens and Thessaloniki with their tractors on Wednesday, while farmers also blocked some roads in Italy.
The Greek farmers were protesting against the rise in fertilizer and diesel prices, ERT News reported.
They also criticized the government because compensation for last year's severe natural disasters was too low and had not been paid out in some cases.
In 2023, there were severe fires and floods in parts of Greece, which destroyed farmland and crops in many places.
It is unclear how long the motorway blockade around 150 kilometres north of Athens will last.
Angry farmers had already protested in almost all regions in the past few days and temporarily blocked the most important border crossing to Turkey near the harbour town of Alexandroupolis.
According to the farmers' organizations, they are planning to paralyse the port city of Thessaloniki with their tractors in the coming days, where Greece's largest agricultural trade fair Agrotica is taking place from Thursday to Sunday.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis promised to support the farmers with special measures. However, he called on them not to harm the country with blockades.
"As serious as the demands of one professional group may be, they must not lead to the penalization of all citizens and violate the rights of society," he said on television.
Several hundred farmers also demonstrated in Italy on Wednesday against European agricultural policy and in favour of receiving state subsidies.
In various regions of the country, they obstructed road traffic with tractors. In some places, roads were completely blocked.
The regions affected included Tuscany, Lombardy and Calabria.
Protests also took place on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia.
FRANCE
Protesting farmers encircled Paris with traffic-snarling barricades Monday, using hundreds of lumbering tractors and mounds of hay bales to block highways leading to France's capital to pressure the government over the future of their industry, which has been shaken by repercussions of the Ukraine war. The blockading of major thoroughfares around Paris — host of the Summer Olympics in six months — and protests elsewhere in France promised another difficult week for new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, less than a month into the job. Protesters said Attal’s attempts last week at pro-agriculture measures fell short of their demands that producing food should be more lucrative, easier and fairer. Farmers responded with the deployment Monday of convoys of tractors, trailers and even rumbling harvesters in what they described as a “siege" of Paris to gain more concessions. Some protesters came with reserves of food and water and tents to stay at barricades if the government doesn’t cede ground. As France's protesting farmers encircle Paris with tractor barricades, vowing an all-out 'siege', FRANCE 24's François Picard is joined by Fabienne KELLER, French MEP, Renew Europe Group.
In pictures: French farmers maintain 'siege' of Paris in standoff with government
Protesting farmers prepared to encircle Paris with traffic-snarling barricades for a second day Tuesday, using hundreds of lumbering tractors and mounds of hay bales to block highways leading to France's capital to pressure the government over the future of their industry, which has been shaken by repercussions of the Ukraine war.
Issued on: 30/01/2024
By: FRANCE 24
The blockading of major thoroughfares around Paris – host of the Summer Olympics in six months – and protests elsewhere in France promised another difficult week for new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, less than a month into the job.
Attal's government was expected to announce new measures on Tuesday following talks with farmers' unions, after pro-agriculture measures unveiled last week fell short of their demands that producing food should be more lucrative, easier and fairer.
Protesting farmers prepared to encircle Paris with traffic-snarling barricades for a second day Tuesday, using hundreds of lumbering tractors and mounds of hay bales to block highways leading to France's capital to pressure the government over the future of their industry, which has been shaken by repercussions of the Ukraine war.
Issued on: 30/01/2024
Farmers sit on a highway after spending the night at a barricade in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. © Daniel Cole, AP
By: FRANCE 24
The blockading of major thoroughfares around Paris – host of the Summer Olympics in six months – and protests elsewhere in France promised another difficult week for new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, less than a month into the job.
Attal's government was expected to announce new measures on Tuesday following talks with farmers' unions, after pro-agriculture measures unveiled last week fell short of their demands that producing food should be more lucrative, easier and fairer.
Farmers block traffic on the A4 highway near Paris on January 29, 2024
© Yves Herman, Reuters
Farmers deployed convoys of tractors, trailers and even rumbling harvesters on Monday in what they described as a “siege" of Paris to gain more concessions. Some protesters came with reserves of food, water and tents to stay at barricades if the government doesn’t cede ground.
Read moreWhy French farmers are up in arms: fuel hikes, green regulation, EU directives
“We've come to defend French agriculture," said Christophe Rossignol, a 52-year-old farmer of organic orchards and other crops. Tractors at the barricade east of Paris were parked so they formed what looked like an ear of wheat when seen from the air.
“We go from crisis to crisis,” Rossignol said. Some vehicles carried placards declaring “No food without farmers” and “The end of us would mean famine for you”.
Farmers deployed convoys of tractors, trailers and even rumbling harvesters on Monday in what they described as a “siege" of Paris to gain more concessions. Some protesters came with reserves of food, water and tents to stay at barricades if the government doesn’t cede ground.
Read moreWhy French farmers are up in arms: fuel hikes, green regulation, EU directives
“We've come to defend French agriculture," said Christophe Rossignol, a 52-year-old farmer of organic orchards and other crops. Tractors at the barricade east of Paris were parked so they formed what looked like an ear of wheat when seen from the air.
“We go from crisis to crisis,” Rossignol said. Some vehicles carried placards declaring “No food without farmers” and “The end of us would mean famine for you”.
Farmers gather at bonfires on a highway near Argenteuil, north of Paris, on January 29, 2024. © Christophe Ena, AP
The barricades highlighted gulfs in economic and social opportunity between town and country in France. Protesters said they felt ignored by government ministers they accused of rarely venturing to farms and getting their shoes dirty.
The government announced a deployment of 15,000 police officers, mostly in the Paris region, to stop any effort by protesters to enter the capital. Officers and armored vehicles also were stationed at Paris’ hub for fresh food supplies, the Rungis market.
The barricades highlighted gulfs in economic and social opportunity between town and country in France. Protesters said they felt ignored by government ministers they accused of rarely venturing to farms and getting their shoes dirty.
The government announced a deployment of 15,000 police officers, mostly in the Paris region, to stop any effort by protesters to enter the capital. Officers and armored vehicles also were stationed at Paris’ hub for fresh food supplies, the Rungis market.
03:36
Paris region traffic authorities reported blockages on the A1 highway just north of the city's main international airport, on the A4 near the Disneyland theme park east of the capital and on other usually busy highways.
“Our goal isn’t to bother or to ruin French people’s lives,” Arnaud Rousseau, president of the influential FNSEA agricultural union, said on RTL radio. “Our goal is to put pressure on the government to rapidly find solutions out of the crisis.”
"Our end will be your hunger" reads the writing on a farmer's van parked on a highway near Argenteuil, north of Paris, on January 29, 2024. © Christophe Ena, AP
Farmers in neighbouring Belgium also set up barricades to stop traffic reaching some main highways, including into the capital, Brussels. Most protests are happening in the French-speaking part of the country.
A farmer from Tournai in western Belgium, Clémente Glorieux, said agricultural producers are “fed up. At some point, rules and constraints are imposed on us, whether administrative or financial. This has been harmful for a while now, so we’re starting to ask ourselves questions about our future”.
Paris region traffic authorities reported blockages on the A1 highway just north of the city's main international airport, on the A4 near the Disneyland theme park east of the capital and on other usually busy highways.
“Our goal isn’t to bother or to ruin French people’s lives,” Arnaud Rousseau, president of the influential FNSEA agricultural union, said on RTL radio. “Our goal is to put pressure on the government to rapidly find solutions out of the crisis.”
"Our end will be your hunger" reads the writing on a farmer's van parked on a highway near Argenteuil, north of Paris, on January 29, 2024. © Christophe Ena, APFarmers in neighbouring Belgium also set up barricades to stop traffic reaching some main highways, including into the capital, Brussels. Most protests are happening in the French-speaking part of the country.
A farmer from Tournai in western Belgium, Clémente Glorieux, said agricultural producers are “fed up. At some point, rules and constraints are imposed on us, whether administrative or financial. This has been harmful for a while now, so we’re starting to ask ourselves questions about our future”.
A map of the planned roadblocks around Paris.
© Studio graphique France Médias Monde
Glorieux and farmers at barricades around Paris said they aim to keep protesting at least until Thursday, when leaders from the European Union's 27 nations are to meet in Brussels for a summit focused on financial support for Ukraine.
"We have everything we need to eat, barbecues, and a wall of hay to shield ourselves from the wind. We have the equipment and we’re settling in alright!” said Paris-region farmer and protester Jean-Baptiste Benoit.
Read more Fewer, older, poorer: France’s farming crisis in numbers
The movement in France is another manifestation of a global food crisis worsened by Russia's nearly two-year full-scale war in Ukraine, a major food producer.
French farmers assert that higher prices for fertilizer, energy and other inputs for growing crops and feeding livestock have eaten into their incomes.
Glorieux and farmers at barricades around Paris said they aim to keep protesting at least until Thursday, when leaders from the European Union's 27 nations are to meet in Brussels for a summit focused on financial support for Ukraine.
"We have everything we need to eat, barbecues, and a wall of hay to shield ourselves from the wind. We have the equipment and we’re settling in alright!” said Paris-region farmer and protester Jean-Baptiste Benoit.
Read more Fewer, older, poorer: France’s farming crisis in numbers
The movement in France is another manifestation of a global food crisis worsened by Russia's nearly two-year full-scale war in Ukraine, a major food producer.
French farmers assert that higher prices for fertilizer, energy and other inputs for growing crops and feeding livestock have eaten into their incomes.
The protests over price pressures, taxes and green regulation echo grievances voiced by many farmers across Europe.
© Yves Herman, Reuters
Protesters also argue that France's massively subsidized farming sector is over-regulated and hurt by food imports from countries where agricultural producers face lower costs and fewer constraints. Rousseau used Ukrainian sugar producers as an example, saying their soaring exports to Europe since Russia invaded in February 2022 are “untenable” for European counterparts.
Taxi drivers with other grievances also organized drive-slow protests Monday, adding to the traffic chaos in the Paris area and other parts of the country. Authorities recommended that road users switch to public transport if possible.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
Protesters also argue that France's massively subsidized farming sector is over-regulated and hurt by food imports from countries where agricultural producers face lower costs and fewer constraints. Rousseau used Ukrainian sugar producers as an example, saying their soaring exports to Europe since Russia invaded in February 2022 are “untenable” for European counterparts.
Taxi drivers with other grievances also organized drive-slow protests Monday, adding to the traffic chaos in the Paris area and other parts of the country. Authorities recommended that road users switch to public transport if possible.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
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