France has generally failed to quell farmers' protests across the country as outrage over various agriculture-related issues continues to spread.
The country's newest prime minister, Gabriel Attal, has sought to assuage the anger of French farmers during a visit to the Haute-Garonne region on Friday. He pledged that his government would prioritize the sector and would drop plans to reduce a key agricultural tax break.
The situation marks Attal's first major crisis in his new position and during his visit to a cattle farm, he said that they received the message that the protesters have sent. The prime minister added that the French government would "put an end" to the rising cost of diesel fuel that is used for farming machinery.
The increase in the price of that particular fuel has been the result of tax breaks on the fuel being phased out. Furthermore, there would be an emergency fund to assist cattle farmers battle illnesses among their livestock, as per France24.
The current movement was split on how to react as the farmer who initiated the first blockade and has become a key figure in the protests, Jerome Bayle, said that having "won" on major points, he would start to reopen the freeways by midday on Saturday.
On the other hand, the head of the biggest farming union FNSEA, Arnaud Rousseau, dashed hopes of a quick end to the issue by calling for "continued mobilization." He said that what officials announced did not calm the anger of the farmers, arguing that they needed to go further.
The French government has been making efforts to keep farmers' discontent from spreading several months ahead of European Parliament elections. The issue is seen as a key test for President Emmanuel Macron's government.
Curbing the Spread of Demonstrations
The protests have already lasted for two weeks and spread across France, resulting in irate farmers blocking a major highway out of Paris on Friday. During his remarks, the 34-year-old prime minister said that they will stop the Kafka-esque system, adding that they will stop the planned trajectory of increasing tax on non-road diesel fuel, according to Reuters.
Attal also unveiled a series of other steps that seek to address farmers' anger that has resulted in the latter spraying manure over a public building and supermarket, dumping hay bales on highways, and emptying the contents of trucks carrying fresh produce from neighboring countries.
The French nation will also remain opposed to signing the Mercosur free-trade deal, which farmers argue will only flood the country with cheaper Latin American meat and produce. The prime minister noted that they will push to ease European Union rules that force farmers to leave some of their land fallow.
Attal also said that the government will strictly enforce laws that are meant to guarantee a living wage for farmers in price negotiations with retailers and distributors. He noted that emergency aid would arrive faster, including the ones aimed at helping cattle that are sick.
On Friday, unions estimated that roughly 70,000 people were protesting across France, with more than 40,000 tractors forming long convoys on some of the nation's main arteries, said the New York Times.
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