“Their cause is just”, judges Bruno Retailleau, recalling that “violence is not constitutional”

“We can demonstrate in France without breaking, without hurting”declared the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, Tuesday November 26 on franceinfo while farmers intend to increase actions against “obstacles” and the “norms”. “I don’t want to have double standards” et “violence is not constitutional” he added, believing that “their cause is just“. This new mobilization comes after a first week of demonstrations against the Mercosur free trade treaty, which will be the subject of a debate in the Assembly in the afternoon. Follow the situation in our live stream.

The FNSEA calls for calm actions. “We are not here to annoy the French”reaffirmed Arnaud Rousseau, the president of the first agricultural union in France. He called on farmers not to blame “to goods and people”, “because we consider that to achieve our objectives today, breaking and threatening is not a solution”.

Farmers occupy the land. After symbolic actions last week in 85 departments, the majority alliance FNSEA-Jeunes Agriculteurs plans to occupy the field until Thursday evening. Rural Coordination, the second largest agricultural union, is organizing a rally in front of the European Parliament on Tuesday.

MEPs speak on Mercosur. The debate in the National Assembly, scheduled from 3 p.m., is organized under article 50-1 of the Constitution. A vote will be organized but it will be purely consultative and nothing will oblige the government to follow the opinion of the deputies.

France is trying to emerge from its isolation. The Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, assured Monday on France Inter that France was progressing in the construction of a blocking minority within the EU against Mercosur: after Italy, Poland expressed its rejection Friday.