He insisted, “It will remain a place of exchange between politicians and farmers,” after two weeks of massive mobilization by French farmers, and as the last major blockades were peacefully evacuated by law enforcement on Saturday. “The fair is the farmers’ communication tool. I don’t see the point of disrupting or damaging it, even though I understand the anger,” added the farmer, for whom this will be the last fair as president after ten years in office. He also expressed “understanding” for the need to take action during this very public moment.
“We have already experienced this with dairy farmers about ten years ago,” he recalled. “We understand that it is a place for expression because it is under the spotlight and heavily publicized. We can express ourselves at the fair while ensuring that the fair runs smoothly,” he hoped. However, the fight is for everyone.
And it’s not over yet. On Thursday, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal unveiled a series of measures, such as pausing the Ecophyto plan aimed at reducing the use of pesticides, strengthening the Egalim law to ensure decent incomes for producers, and early repayment of fuel taxes. Most of the roadblocks were lifted on Friday, and the last ones by the Confédération paysanne are being evacuated by law enforcement in a calm manner on Saturday morning. For the 60th edition of the agricultural fair, its president expects 600,000 visitors, and even “perhaps a little more, because with this agricultural crisis, we have seen that sympathy and empathy for farmers are deeply rooted in the French.”