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11m ago

French Farmers Park Hundreds of Tractors in Paris as PM Pledges Emergency Agriculture Bill and €300 Million Aid

Protesters pressing to derail the EU‑Mercosur pact face a process still hinging on a European Parliament vote plus possible court scrutiny.

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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

  • Roughly 350 tractors moved from Porte Dauphine to the Assemblée nationale, with FNSEA and Jeunes Agriculteurs saying they will camp overnight until their demands are heard.
  • Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ordered a draft emergency agriculture bill for March focused on water, predation and production inputs, with a pledge for parliamentary examination before summer.
  • The government set a moratorium on water‑allocation decisions and asked prefects to surface blocked irrigation projects, while preparing potential derogations to the EU nitrates directive ahead of the farm show.
  • A €300 million sector package was highlighted again, with additional fiscal measures under discussion to bolster farm cash flow, though union leaders called the steps insufficient.
  • The EU‑Mercosur agreement is due to be signed on 17 January in Paraguay, with provisional application possible and an eventual European Parliament vote expected months later as opponents seek a Court of Justice referral.