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2h ago

French Farmers Camp at Parliament After Tractor March as PM Pledges March Emergency Bill

The government moved to defuse the protest with a water moratorium and planned nitrates derogations as the EU–Mercosur deal nears a January 17 signing.

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François-Xavier Bellamy, député européen et chef de file des Républicains au Parlement européen, sur franceinfo le 13 janvier 2026.
Farmers drive their tractors down the Champs-Elysees avenue as they protest over the Mercosur trade deal Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026 in Paris. Banner reads: Mercosur, death for sure. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)
Farmers drive their tractors down the Champs-Elysees avenue as they protest over the Mercosur trade deal Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026 in Paris. Poster reads: Macron traitor. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)

Overview

  • About 350 tractors, according to police, drove into Paris via Porte Dauphine and gathered near the National Assembly, with organizers claiming up to 500 vehicles.
  • Led by FNSEA and Jeunes Agriculteurs, protesters demanded immediate, concrete measures and said they would not leave until received at Matignon, opting to stay overnight.
  • Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced an emergency agriculture bill focused on water, predation and production resources to be presented in March and examined before summer.
  • Immediate actions include a moratorium on water-related decisions and suspension of texts setting allowable withdrawals until September, orders to prefects to unblock hydraulic projects, and exploration of derogations from the EU nitrates directive.
  • With the EU–Mercosur agreement slated for signature in Paraguay on January 17, farmers and allied MEPs are seeking a European Parliament rejection or a Court of Justice review that opponents say could pause ratification.