On Friday, December 19th, France’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu met with leaders of the country’s main farm unions. According to Fédération nationale des syndicats d’exploitants agricoles (FNSEA) chairman Arnaud Rousseau, Lecornu promised to send a letter by close of business detailing the government’s responses on a number of agricultural matters. Rousseau added that the union would decide on whether to suspend protests once the letter was received.
Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon told RTL radio that the administration would not tolerate additional blockades and would take all measures necessary to prevent them. The president of the Young Farmers union, Pierrick Horel, confirmed that his organization would observe a Christmas truce.
It remained unclear whether Coordination Rurale and the Confederation Paysanne, two unions leading the blockades, would call off their actions. Later in the day, Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard was scheduled to visit a farm near Paris.
Rousseau also mentioned that a new meeting with the government is planned for early January, around the 8th to 10th, to follow up on the issues discussed. José Pérez, president of the Rural Coordination of Lot-et-Garonne, encouraged farmers in Agen to spend Christmas with their families, emphasizing that each department would decide individually but a short break was needed to restart negotiations in January.
The day before, thousands of farmers from across Europe protested in Brussels against the European Union–Mercosur trade deal and reforming agricultural subsidies. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told EU leaders yesterday that the planned signing of the EU–Mercosur trade agreement will be delayed until next month, missing a previously scheduled Saturday deadline.
