French farmers rally against agriculture bill

On May 26 morning, dozens of farmers arrived at the French National Assembly by tractor to protest ahead of the debate on a new agriculture bill.

Approximately a dozen tractors, bearing flags of the FNSEA and Jeunes Agriculteurs unions, were parked at the gates of the parliament building, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

Union representatives declared their intention to maintain the protest throughout the day.

“We’re not going anywhere. We’ve been waiting 18 months for progress from the government,” one demonstrator said. Organisers anticipate around 200 protesters joining the demonstration. Police vans monitored the scene, and the protest was officially approved by the city prefecture, although slogans on the tractors were covered with white paper. 

While farmers generally support the bill, they fear its passage may be delayed by numerous amendments from left-wing deputies concerned about the environmental impact of easing regulations—such as permitting farmers to fill water tanks for drought preparedness. In parallel, farmers began blocking key roads leading to Paris in the Essonne, Val-d’Oise, and Yvelines departments. Last week, similar protests took place in northern departments including Nord and Pas-de-Calais. The protesters demand swift approval of the bill, which aims to simplify bureaucratic procedures, ease certification requirements, and reconsider pesticide use restrictions.

By Naila Huseynova