French farmers in tractors have blocked roads around the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe in protest at an imminent EU trade deal with South American countries that they say will create unfair competition. The farmers blockaded motorways outside Paris on Thursday and dozens of tractors overran police checkpoints to reach the city centre in a pre-dawn protest organised by the Coordination Rurale union.
“We are between resentment and despair. We have a feeling of abandonment – with Mercosur being an example,” Stéphane Pelletier, a senior member of Coordination Rurale, told Reuters beneath the Eiffel Tower. The French government said authorities would “not stand by”, with spokesperson Maud Bregeon calling the roadblocks illegal. Farmers also demonstrated in front of the French parliament, heckling the national assembly president.
EU states are due to vote on Friday on the deal with Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, the four members of the South American trade bloc known as Mercosur. If ratified, it would create a common market of nearly 800 million people, boosting EU exports of vehicles, machinery, wines and spirits. European farmers fear being undercut by cheaper agricultural imports from Mercosur.
The deal is backed by Germany and Spain, but France, mindful of its powerful farming lobby, has long been fiercely opposed. President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Thursday that he would vote against the deal, citing “unanimous political rejection” in France. However, the European Commission has proposed an extra €45bn of EU funding for farmers in the next seven-year budget, and Italy has indicated support, making approval likely.
Under the qualified majority system, 15 of the EU's 27 states representing 65% of its population are needed for approval. With Italy's backing, France, joined by Ireland, Poland and Hungary, appears unable to block the deal. The accord aims to cut South American tariffs on EU goods while limiting imports of beef, pork, and other sensitive products.
