The Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, will make her first on-site visit to Pas-de-Calais on Thursday, November 21, since the return to the streets of farmers, who denounce in particular the proposed trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur , the free trade zone of South America.
According to the authorities, “The mobilization seems to be decreasing” throughout the country compared to the beginning of the week, and now it seems to be limited to the actions of the “yellow caps” of the Rural Coordination (CR). The commercial port of Bordeaux, invaded on Wednesday afternoon by CR protesters, remained blocked on Thursday morning. The second agricultural union claims that there are 200 protesters and about 80 tractors at the site, “with people still arriving”. The prefecture mentioned the presence on Wednesday afternoon of around thirty tractors.
Several dozen tractors and trailers from the RC of Lot-et-Garonne dumped large quantities of tires and waste on the access roads to the port facilities.
“We block while Mme Genevard and Mr. Barnier [le premier ministre] not implementing solutions for the profession. Structural things (…)“Today we don’t want a little money to return to our farms, we want reforms to live, to have a decent salary.”Aurélie Armand, director of the CR of Lot-et-Garonne, told Agence France-Presse. On Wednesday in Bordeaux, Karine Duc, head of CR, declared: “It is in these ports where we import cereals that are not subject to the same regulations as ours, and this is something we want to denounce. »
Minister Annie Genevard is expected to arrive mid-morning at a farm 10 kilometers northeast of Béthune and is scheduled to meet with farmers, according to her office. Then he will go to an agricultural teaching center in Arras. On Wednesday night, the minister reiterated the government’s opposition to the agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur, the South American free trade zone, and its desire to assemble a blocking minority within the EU to prevent it. . An effort with uncertain results, while a debate on the issue will be held on Tuesday in the National Assembly.
“No one can say today that there is no blocking minority. “We are working hard on it.”promised mme Genevard on BFM-TV, adding: “We are going to do everything possible to prevent this agreement, which is bad. »
On Wednesday, the Czech Republic lifted the blockade of Highway 9 (A9), which connects Spain with France, which it had installed the day before. Elsewhere, farmers blocked, in particular the prefecture of Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes) and a road in Nièvre, according to the authorities.
Professional choices
On the mobilization of farmers, Mme Genevard ruled Wednesday night that“We cannot accept that there are excesses”. “We have established a framework that does not exclude dialogue, that does not exclude protest, because it is legitimate”he added, while his Interior colleague, Bruno Retailleau, had mentioned on Sunday a “zero tolerance” in case of “durable blockage”.
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This new episode of agricultural demonstrations occurs a few weeks before the professional elections. The CR, the second union in the sector, intends on this occasion to break the hegemony of the majority alliance FNSEA-JA. These two sister unions had warned that they would mobilize until mid-December against the trade agreement with the Mercosur countries, against the rules, according to them, excessive and for better incomes. The third representative union, the Peasant Confederation, also organized actions to denounce all free trade agreements.
The president of the FNSEA, Arnaud Rousseau, announced on Wednesday that the next demonstrations led by its members will take place next week. “Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday”, “Denounce obstacles to agriculture”.
