Almost 90% of French throw support behind farmers' protests

The protests staged by farmers in France are supported by 89 per cent of French people. According to Interfax, it follows from a poll carried out by Odoxa Backbone Consulting for Le Figaro.

"It is a rare case in which all the supporters of the main political parties, from France Insoumise to the Rassemblement Nationale, approve of the mobilisation (of the protest movement - Interfax)," wrote the newspaper, which published the results of the poll on January 24.

Voters belonging to the centre-right Republicans, traditionally close to agricultural producers, are the most likely to support the farmers' demands, with 97 per cent agreeing. They are followed by those backing the nationalist Rassemblement Nationale (95 per cent), the Socialist Party (94 per cent), environmentalists (88 per cent) and the left-leaning France Insoumise (87 per cent).

Unsurprisingly, Le Figaro notes that the lowest level of support is registered among the voters of Emmanuel Macron's liberal-socialist presidential party, Renaissance, at 81 per cent. It's important to note, however, that only 38 per cent of them "fully support" what the farmers want to achieve.

This rare mass solidarity can be explained by the fact that "agricultural producers are extremely popular with the public", according to the publication. More than nine out of ten French (93 per cent) say they feel good about them, including 44 per cent who say "very good".

"Except for paramedics, few professions in France are as popular. The COVID-19 years have had a particularly significant impact on the image of those 'who feed us': between 2019 and 2024, the number of people who say they have a good opinion of farmers surged by 8 per cent and, more importantly, the number of French people who say they have an 'excellent opinion' almost doubled," the newspaper reports.

Five months before the European elections, agricultural policy is emerging as a fundamental part of the campaign. The EU's role in this area is strongly criticised by the French, more than three-quarters (78 per cent) of whom consider Brussels' agricultural policy to be "rather negative" for French farmers. The electorate is also critical at the national level, where a large proportion (83 per cent) think Macron does not support agricultural producers enough. Even a majority of Renaissance supporters - 58 per cent - hold this view.

Last Monday, a mass protest movement by agricultural producers began in the Occitanie region due to stalled negotiations with the government. The farmers are protesting against tax increases and price rises, in particular for fuel, as well as demanding the lifting of restrictions related to environmental standards imposed in France and in the EU.

French farmers will hold protests in most of the country - 85 départements - until January 26. French media reported on Wednesday, citing the National Federation of Farmers' Unions (FNSEA).