Farmers blocked the Dutch-Belgian border and occupied roads in Greece on Feb. 2, while a Polish union announced plans to shut border crossings with Ukraine as European protests over prices and red tape spread.
At one roadblock, Dutch pig farmer Johan Van Enckevort, 25, warned the European Union and Dutch politicians holding cabinet formation talks not to ignore farmers’ needs.
“We have very nice products here in the EU and we want to continue to make those products. But it has to be done in a fair way, in a decent way and not with so many rules. It just can’t go on like this,” he said.
In France, farmers headed toward the lower house of parliament in Paris on Thursday. Drone footage showed the extent of the protest, with a massive convoy of tractors on a motorway near Jossigny. Multiple highways in and around Paris were also blocked.
As of Friday, French farmers were dismantling many of their roadblocks made of hay bales at dozens of sites across France, including several highways leading into the French capital, pausing their protests after receiving more government pledges.
“The roadblocks are being lifted region by region. Some are still in place but little by little, during the morning, they will be removed,” Jerome Despey, a senior official from the FNSEA farmers’ union, told France Info radio.
Reason for Protests
Farmers say that recent implementation of higher green taxes in Europe has had a devastating impact on their livelihoods, and that they are not receiving adequate compensation while also facing unfair competition from non-EU countries.
Chaos erupted outside the European Parliament in Brussels on Feb. 1 when farmers threw eggs and stones at the building and started fires and set off fireworks nearby.
The huge demonstration was attended by farmers from multiple European countries, including Italy and Spain, while simultaneously continuing protests in their respective home countries. Farmers in Portugal made their way to the Spanish border in the early morning hours in an attempt to block roads linking the two countries.
The protest also saw small groups attempting to tear down barriers erected in front of parliament, located a few blocks from where the summit was taking place.
The protesters were met with tear gas and water cannons from riot police, while security personnel in riot gear stood guard behind barriers where the leaders were meeting at European Council headquarters.
During the protest, a statue on the square was damaged. Several major thoroughfares in the city were blocked by tractors, which police estimated to be about 1,300.
“If you see with how many people we are here today, and if you see it’s all over Europe, so you must have hope,” said Kevin Bertens, a farmer from just outside Brussels. “You need us. Help us!”
EU Elections
The protests have already been fruitful in regard to securing several measures, including the bloc’s executive commission proposals to limit farm imports from Ukraine and loosen some environmental regulations on fallow lands. This was welcomed by several EU leaders as they arrived at the summit.
The protests in France, which have been ongoing for weeks, saw the French government drop plans to gradually reduce subsidies on agricultural diesel, as well as promise more aid. New measures were announced by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Feb. 1.
Regardless, according to the farmers this is just the tip of the iceberg and they are demanding more conclusive actions from their leaders.
“You know what’s happening: European elections are coming and politicians are super nervous and also the European Commission. And I think that this is the best moment that together all the European farmers go to the street,” said Jose Maria Castilla, a farmer representing the Spanish farmers’ union, Asaja.
One tractor displayed a banner saying “If you love the earth, support those who manage it” as farmers from Belgium and other European countries try to make themselves heard by EU leaders attending the summit.
Another banner read: “No farmers, no food.”
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said: “To the farmers that are outside. We see you and we hear you.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is often at odds with many of the policies implemented by EU leaders, made a point of meeting farmers overnight.
“We need to find new leaders who truly represent the interests of the people,” his spokesman quoted him as saying, referring to the European Parliament elections.
And Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said farmers’ grievances should be discussed, upon his arrival at the summit.
“They offer products of high quality, we also need to make sure that they can get the right price for the high quality products that they provide,” he said.
Mercosur Trade Talks
Another key demand for the farmers is an amendment to the current draft of the Mercosur agreement, which seeks to offer free movements of goods from participating member countries, namely Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The current draft was already opposed by French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron, as well Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who recently also voiced his opposition to it.
The protests appear to resonate with some leading figures in the European parliament, but actions taken to offer concrete resolutions are still lagging behind. Nonetheless, the impact of blockades has been noticeable, particularly in France, where farmers ramped up demonstrations earlier in the week.
According to Eric Hemar, the head of a federation of transport and logistics employers, the impact of dozens of blockades is starting to be felt.
“We did a poll among our federation members: all transport firms are impacted [by the farmers’ protest] and have lost over the past 10 days about 30 percent of their revenue, because we are not able to deliver on time or with delays,” he told France Info.
Reuters contributed to this report.
