Macron bows down to pressure from farmers saying he 'got message loud and clear' as protests rage across France

Macron bows down to pressure from farmers saying he 'got message loud and clear' as protests rage across France

Protesting French farmers blocked the highway outside Paris

Reuters
Georgina Cutler

By Georgina Cutler


Published: 27/01/2024

- 13:30

Farmers have carried out protests for nine days

Emmanuel Macron has vowed to give farmers wide-ranging concessions as he caves to pressure following nine days of protests.

In a bid to diffuse anger, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal was sent to a dairy farm in Montastruc-de-Salies, in southwest France.


Speaking to farmers, Attal said the government "has got the message loud and clear", adding that: "We are going to act on all fronts".

Nine days ago protests broke out among farmers as campaigners blocked the A64 motorway over the government's perceived reluctance to compensate the loss of cattle following a flare up of epizootic haemorrhagic disease.

Protesters left dung outside buildings

Protests have also spilled to government offices, where dung was left outside buildings

Reuters

Farmers launched their campaign amid plummeting prices, rising cost and claim there is unfair competition from other EU countries.

Protests have also spilled to government offices, where dung was left outside buildings.

More than 60 roads have been blocked, which includes five motorways around Paris.

An office building in Narbonne, southern France which belongs to Mutualite Sociale Agricole insurance organisation was also set alight.

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Supermarkets were also targeted with wooden crates set ablaze.

Interior minister, Gérald Darmanin said he had no intention of deploying the police to end roadblocks.

He said: "Should we let them continue without sending in the riot police? Yes … I am letting them continue. You don’t respond to suffering with riot police."

While attempting to make amends, Attal told the farmers that they were "women and men of value" motivated by a "healthy anger".

Farmers launched their campaign amid plummeting prices, rising cost and claim there is unfair competition from other European Union countries

Reuters

He added: "We have decided to place agriculture above everything else".

The prime minister confirmed he had abandoned a plan to increase a duty on diesel fuel for farming machinery by €0.03 a year.

He also vowed to "liberate" farmers from red tape and entrust them to run their own farms without bureaucratic interference.

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