French Farmers Block Paris Over Mercosur Trade Deal

French farmers staged a pre-dawn blockade of roads and landmarks in Paris to protest the European Union’s proposed trade agreement with South American Mercosur nations. Members of the Coordination Rurale union, joined later by FNSEA and young farmers’ groups, drove tractors along the Champs Élysées and around the Arc de Triomphe, causing traffic jams stretching up to 150 km, while police maintained a calm presence.

Protesters voiced concerns that the Mercosur deal would flood Europe with cheap food imports, undermining domestic agriculture, and criticized the government’s handling of the lumpy skin disease outbreak, advocating vaccination instead of culling. Senior union member Stephane Pelletier described farmers as feeling abandoned and betrayed by the trade accord.

The demonstration adds pressure on President Emmanuel Macron ahead of an EU member vote expected Friday. While Paris secured some concessions, the deal remains politically sensitive, with municipal elections approaching and strong opposition from the far right. France has vowed to continue opposing the agreement in the European Parliament if it is approved.

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