French Farmers' Protests Intensify, Edge Closer to Paris

New Prime Minister Gabriel Attal Faces First Major Challenge as Farmers Demand Urgent Action

French farmers have been protesting for two weeks against low farmgate prices, green regulation, and free-trade policies, blocking highways and dumping imported produce.
The protests, which started in the southwest, have moved closer to Paris, posing a significant challenge for new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.
The farmers' union has handed the government a list of demands, including better enforcement of a law designed to safeguard farmgate prices, continued diesel tax-breaks for agricultural vehicles, immediate payment of EU agricultural subsidies, and immediate aid for winemakers and organic farmers.
Farmers have expressed frustration at increasingly complex environmental standards, red tape, low incomes, rising costs, and a lack of public support.
The protests have made for a rare alliance between rival farmers' unions, with left-wing Confédération Paysanne joining the heavyweight FNSEA and Coordination Rurale.