Thousands of agricultural tractors have been blocking highways and major European cities for around ten days. Angry farmers took drastic measures. Over the weekend we even saw these large demonstrations sweep through Paris.
• Also read: Farmers' protests: Almost 400 km of motorways blocked in France
In addition to France, farmers from Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and some Eastern European countries also expressed their desperation and frustration. Political leaders everywhere were on the defensive, trying to avoid direct confrontation.
The reasons for anger are varied.
- New diesel taxes in the name of climate change increase production costs.
- You will now be asked to pay for water usage.
- They are faced with increasingly strict and stringent environmental regulations.
- They are deprived of the right to use certain pesticides and herbicides without offering alternative solutions.
- They are asked to leave some of their land fallow, resulting in further loss of income.
- Listen to the Montpetit-Dumont meeting with Marie Montpetit QUB :
Forgotten ones
But beyond all this accumulated dissatisfaction, the ultimate frustration is the feeling of being misunderstood and forgotten. It's the feeling that decisions that affect your business and your income are made by people who have no idea what you're going through and doing.
Officials and politicians set rules on pesticides or farming methods, but they cannot grow potatoes. They fear pressure from environmentalists and appease their consciences by enacting these rules. They have no idea of the complications or loss of income that will arise for farmers on the famous cow ground.
Honestly, what I hear from farmers in Europe is pretty similar to what I hear at home. Our farmers have the same feeling of being completely misunderstood. They sense the absurdity of a society in which they are asked to produce more in the name of our food autonomy, while at the same time increasingly restrictive barriers are imposed on them.
Photo AFP
Many SMEs
You know what? This feeling doesn't just apply to farmers. I sense the same impatience of SMEs in the forestry sector. The same is true in several other industries where entrepreneurs who take risks and put their heart into the work can no longer tolerate disjointed decisions that put obstacles in their way.
In fact, it's essentially the same anger we see among restaurateurs. Regulations, expensive permits, high taxes, while hundreds die in battle. We can imagine the frustration.
The rebellion against a certain elite is brewing in Europe as in America. It opens the door to worrying phenomena such as the popularity of a narcissist like Trump. To curb this increase, we need politicians who know what hard-working people on the ground are experiencing.