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French farmers have pledged to persist with their protests, maintaining blockades on major roads across the country. The demonstrations, aimed at securing better pay for their produce, reducing bureaucratic hurdles, and safeguarding against cheap imports, have escalated in recent days. Farmers have used tractors to block roads and deposited agricultural waste outside government buildings.
Although some blockades have been lifted, significant disruptions persist, particularly on the A7 highway in southern France. Vinci Autoroutes, the highway operator, confirmed the removal of blockades on routes to Paris and the reopening of other roads.
Some protesters are planning to intensify their actions next week, with threats to block traffic around Paris for multiple days starting Sunday evening.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal unveiled measures during a visit to a cattle farm in southern France, including simplifying technical procedures and gradually eliminating diesel taxes for farm vehicles. Despite this, farmers unions have rejected the government’s plan, citing inadequacies.
The protests in France reflect broader discontent within the European Union’s agricultural sector, with similar demonstrations occurring in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Romania. These issues are gaining prominence ahead of European Parliament elections, with populist parties seeking to capitalize on rural dissatisfaction over free trade agreements and other grievances.
