Karine Lemarchand went to a farmers’ roadblock.
AFP
The mobilization of farmers across Europe reached a new milestone on Monday in France with the start of the “siege” of Paris, which raised fears of a “week of all dangers” between angry farmers and French law enforcement.
Between highway blockages and tractor parades, agricultural discontent first manifested itself in December and January in Germany, before affecting France, but also Romania, Poland, and even Belgium.
Extreme climatic episodes, avian flu, soaring fuel prices or an influx of Ukrainian products exempt from customs duties, there is no shortage of common factors of discontent.
The new European common agricultural policy, which has strengthened environmental obligations since 2023, and the legislation of the European “Green Deal” – even if they are not yet in force – are particularly crystallizing anger.