According to Jérôme Bayle, a cow farmer who has become a figure in the protest movement, at noon this Saturday the blockade of the A64 motorway that connects the southern cities of Toulouse and Bayonne (French Basque Country) will be lifted. The mobilizations began last Thursday. Bayle spoke to Attal yesterday and stressed that his goal is to give farmers the opportunity to live from their work, a fact that the protesters consider impossible in these times. They denounce low wages, inequality, the impact of inflation and the rise in fuel costs, and European environmental standards that they describe as very strict.
Other blockades were lifted yesterday, for example on the A35 in the east of the country (Alsace), on the A31 (Moselle) or on the A28 (Eure and Seine-Maritime), but many others remain active.
The Prime Minister announced the suspension of the increase in the cost of fuel for tractors, the simplification of support procedures and procedures, and an aid of 50 million euros for the biological subsidiary (Bio) in the fields.
He also reiterated that France would continue to oppose the agreement between the European Union and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), which includes Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The National Federation of French Farmers' Unions (Fnsea) and the Young Farmers (JA) reiterated that they will continue the mobilization because the state measures are inadequate.
The Prime Minister did not respond to all the questions asked, Fnsea President Arnaud Rousseau told broadcaster TF1.
For his part, the supreme leader of the JA, Arnaud Gaillot, explained to the BFM television that, after consultation with the bases, the motto was to maintain the mobilization, the main expression of which was the blocking of highways with tractors and with measures taken the day before 85 of the 96 metropolitan regions were affected.
Some will take a break, others will continue throughout the weekend, but the intention is to continue, Gaillot added.
npg/wmr