After government concessions, France expects the end of the lockdown
– Farmers’ protests with tractors that have spread across Europe intensified again this Thursday (1), this time in Brussels, during an extraordinary summit of the European Council.
According to local police, around 1,300 tractors are scattered across the city’s streets. In northern Belgium, the port of Zeebrugge also remains blocked, an action that began on Tuesday night (30).
With demands such as changes to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a review of the European Green Deal and an end to negotiations for the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, protesters blocked Place de Luxembourg, in front of the headquarters of the European Parliament and firecrackers exploded, setting fire to wood and tyres.
The Belgian authorities explained that the forecast was 800 tractors, but that despite the greater turnout, the police managed to keep the demonstrators in the European Quarter area, where the main buildings of the block are located.
“We had estimated 800 tractors, 1,300, with more than 2,000 people. We managed to cordon off the protest area and maintain the summit. The priority is dialogue, but are the police prepared if the situation worsens?, said the mayor of the Belgian capital, Philippe Close, on RTL radio.
Belgium and Copa-Cogeca, an association representing European agricultural cooperatives, have announced that representatives of the protesters will meet the president of the European Union executive, Ursula von der Leyen; Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo; and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
In France, where the demonstrations originated, agricultural unions Fnsea and Jeunes Agriculteurs (JA) called for the removal of roadblocks with tractors, following new announcements from Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, responding to demands from rural producers.
“We have decided that in the current situation, taking into account everything that has been announced, our modes of action must change, and therefore we ask our networks to lift the blockades and start a form of mobilization,” the JA president said , Arnaud Gaillot.
The set of measures announced by the French government to calm farmers’ concerns amounts to 400 million euros, according to an estimate by the French Ministry of Finance, cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
In addition to this figure, another 200 million euros will be used for the partial reimbursement of the tractor fuel tax.
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Source: Terra
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