French farmers drove hundreds of tractors into Paris on Tuesday for the second time in a week, intensifying protests against a European Union–Mercosur trade deal they say threatens domestic agriculture by exposing it to unfair competition from cheaper South American imports.
The demonstration was organised by the FNSEA, one of France’s largest farming unions, as opposition to the trade agreement continues to grow among farmers in France and across other EU member states. France is the European Union’s largest agricultural producer.
Paris police estimated that around 350 tractors took part in Tuesday’s protest. One convoy converged near the Arc de Triomphe, while another gathered outside the French parliament building, the Assemblée Nationale.
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A separate farmers’ union, the Coordination Rurale, staged a surprise tractor demonstration at landmarks including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe last Thursday.
Damien Greffin, vice-president of the FNSEA and a farmer from the Paris region, criticised the approval of the Mercosur agreement, arguing that it had moved forward without sufficient parliamentary scrutiny.
“The Mercosur agreement was approved even though the European Parliament hasn’t had its say. This is going to lead to imports of foreign goods that we are perfectly able to produce in France and that don’t respect standards which are imposed on French farming,” Greffin said.
He added that farmers were planning further protests, including a demonstration at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on January 20.
The approval of the Mercosur deal by most EU member states on Friday, despite opposition from France, has increased pressure on the French government, with farmers and opposition parties stepping up criticism. Some opposition groups have since filed motions of no confidence.
Another protester, Guillaume Lefort, a crop farmer from Seine-et-Marne, said the demonstrations were driven by deepening challenges facing the sector.
