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French farmers' union calls for more protests in May

Arnaud Rousseau, the head of France's leading agricultural union, FNSEA ( Fédération Nationale des Syndicats d'Exploitants Agricoles ) had called for a new wave of mobilisation by farmers starting on Monday, May 26th. Rousseau made the announcement on Thursday morning, noting that the call to action included the Jeune Agriculteurs (JA) union as well. Previous farmers' protests have included motorway blockades and rolling roadblocks, as well as dumping hay or manure in front of government buildings and more symbolic actions such as turning village signs upside down. Advertisement As of Thursday, it was unclear exactly what the actions in late May would entail. The FNSEA boss said French farmers "felt betrayed" by unfulfilled government promises and that the mobilisation of a year and a half ago had not borne fruit. "This is intolerable for us (...) If farmers don't mobilise again, then these promises won't be kept," Rousseau told French news outlet RMC on Thursday morning. In February and March of 2024, farmers' protests brought over 70 of the country's autoroutes to a standstill after widespread rolling roadblocks and blockades. These protests were largely meant to put pressure on France and the EU against certain trade policies French farmers consider to be threatening, such as the 'Mercosur' free trade agreement, which France is still seeking to block. After the 2024 protests, farmers were given certain assurances by the French government, but Rousseau argued that these remain unrealised. "We need to see the concrete action on our farms, for example on the issue of water or on the issue of production. "We believe today, after having demonstrated, worked, and endured everything that's happening politically—four prime ministers in one year—that the answers and promises we've being given have not materialised," Rousseau told RMC. Rousseau also called for people to support the projet de loi Duplomb, an agriculture bill making its way through parliament that intends to ''remove constraints placed on farmers', in part by allowing for easier access to pesticides. As a result it has been contested by environmentalists and left-wing politicians. The bill will begin to be debated in the Assemblée Nationale from May 26th.