French farmers vow to lay siege to Paris as dispute escalates

Armored vehicles and gendarmes guard the entrance to the Rungis wholesale food market in southern Paris after farmers threatened to block the staple food distribution center Photo: JULIEN DE ROSA /AFP

French farmers will lay siege to the capital on Monday, warning Parisians of a «dark week ahead» as disputes escalate over wages, taxes and regulations.

All major roads leading to Paris , will be «occupied» by farm workers as they seek to increase pressure on President Emmanuel Macron's government, farm unions have said.

FNSEA, the country's largest farm union, and the Young Farmers group have warned of an «indefinite siege of the capital» .

The move comes after more than a week of nationwide protests by farm workers who have seen motorways blocked by convoys of tractors.

Farmers plan to block access to the huge wholesale food market of Rungis, south of the capital, which supplies Paris' shops and restaurants and the surrounding Ile-de-France region, which is causing concern among local business owners.

“We are following this movement very closely,” said Thierry Marx, president of the Hospitality Union and local celebrity chef.

“We stand in solidarity with the farming world. But it's true that things can move quickly. If Paris is locked down in 72 hours, there could be food shortages in our establishments,” he told French news channel BFMTV.

The latest move comes after more than a week of nationwide protests by angry farm workers who saw highways blocked by convoys of tractors. Photo: JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP

French farmers are furious over what they say is pressure on purchasing prices from supermarkets and industrial buyers, as well as complex environmental regulations.

But the last straw for many have benefited from the gradual abolition of tax breaks on diesel fuel for agricultural machinery.

Several concessions announced by the government on Friday did little to reassure farmers, who said the measures had eased. This falls far short of their demands.

These included canceling a planned diesel tax hike, promises to streamline bureaucracy and speed up emergency aid.

Instead, farmers vowed to double down on threats to refer grievances to Paris

But Marc Fesneau, the agriculture minister, warned the plan could backfire and undermine public support for their cause.

«I'm not sure it will serve the interests of farmers,» Mr Fesno told BFMTV. “This is an act that, in the end, mainly punishes the Parisians.”

Officials have promised that further concessions will be announced next week.

Gabriel Attal, Prime Minister , said on Sunday that the government is “determined to move quickly forward” to find a solution.

«You wanted to send a message and I got it loud and clear,» said Mr. Attal, 34, who is facing his first major crisis as prime minister since taking office earlier this month.

< p>“I know very well that we have not yet responded to the malaise and dissatisfaction of our farmers,” he added. “I am determined to move forward quickly. Whenever we can quickly make a decision, we will do so.”

His remarks came as Gérald Darmanin, the interior minister, instructed French police to deploy a “significant” number of officers to prevent blockade of the Rungis market and entry points to Paris.

However, amid growing fears of a vest-verts uprising among farmers similar to the populist uprising that erupted in 2018, he advised officers to act in moderation and only intervene directly as a last resort.

Farmers in other European countries, including Germany and Poland, have also staged protests recently, accusing the European Union of not doing enough to protect them from cheaper production in other countries.