France’s new prime minister, Gabriel Attal, has promised to provide assistance to the country’s disgruntled farmers in addressing their demands. Farmers have been actively protesting by using tractors to block highways, seeking better pay and fewer regulations and costs. The prime minister delivered his policy speech in an effort to assuage the protesters’ concerns in the face of a growing and rearing food industry that has become less lucrative and more challenging.
Attal vowed to listen to the farmers’ issues and to ensure that domestic and foreign products comply with fair competition regulations. Emergency aid for struggling wine producers and the fast disbursement of EU subsidies were also pledged. Furthermore, fines will be imposed on food retailers that fail to comply with laws designed to ensure fair shares of revenues to farmers. French farmers have actively protested by camping out on highways and have demanded better treatment in comparison to foreign products with less stringent regulations and lower costs.
The protesters rejected the measures announced by the prime minister last week, and they are prepared for a prolonged battle with tents and food reserves. The government has mobilized 15,000 police officers to prevent the protesters from entering Paris, while officers and armored vehicles have been stationed at the Rungis market, a key fresh food supply hub.
The French farmers who slept on the highway near Disneyland are skeptical about the government’s assistance and expressed their frustration. Meanwhile, neighboring countries like Belgium, Spain, and Italy also face similar demonstrations. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, is set to meet with the European Commission chief in Brussels to discuss the farming crisis, as he defends the EU farm policy as essential for the survival of European agriculture.