A procession of 25 tractors from Rural Coordination, the second agricultural union in France, arrived on Tuesday, November 26, near the European Parliament in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin). The angry farmers had left Vesoul (Haute-Loire) the day before, while the movement intends to increase actions against “obstacles” and the “norms”. The majority alliance FNSEA-Jeunes Agriculteurs plans to occupy the field until Thursday evening, 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.
Bruno Retailleau promises firmness. “We can demonstrate in France without breaking, without hurting”declared the Minister of the Interior on franceinfo, ensuring that he would show firmness with farmers in the event of damage. “I don’t want to have double standards” et “violence is not constitutional”added the tenant of Place Beauvau, believing that “their cause is just”.
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”.
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.
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