Everyone in France is angry, including the farmer

Not only in the Netherlands are the farmers tired of the policy of their government, French farmers are also revolting again. Strikes against President Emmanuel Macron's policies have paralyzed the entire country on Thursday, December 5. That is why there is talk of 'Black Thursday'.

Dissatisfaction is not only among the farmers. Almost the entire country is in revolt. Air France ground staff, garbage collectors in Marseille, lawyers, truck drivers: they all stop working. Public transport in Paris has even indicated that it will stop working for an indefinite period.

Dissatisfaction with pensions and income
The discontent is focused on the reform of the current pension system, which threatens to become unaffordable. Many French governments have tried to reform the pension system in recent years, but have backed down after mass demonstrations. However, the government of the now unpopular President Macron has indicated that reform is indeed coming.

The farmers' protest is mainly a cry for better incomes, but also topics such as the negative image that has been created around the farmer and government policy have not left French farmers in the cold.

So many protests in a row
Protesting is in French farmers' DNA. The action of December 5 is the umpteenth in a row. After the Dutch protests on October 1, the French farmers moved October 8 to battle. Several roads and toll stations were blocked, farmers pulled in tractor columns on the French highways and in the southern French city of Nîmes, rotten fruit and manure was even draped on the sidewalks at various government institutions. "A warning", that's what the French farmers' union FNSEA called it. "If there is no response, more actions will follow."

The latter turned out not to be a lie. on November 27 French peasants flocked to Paris, where the heart of French politics is located. They completely shut down traffic in and around the city by means of blockades.

Actions in the Netherlands
French tenacity is spreading to our country and to Germany. Farmers Defense Force has indicated that in the Netherlands a large-scale protest action will take place around Christmas. Sounds can be heard that the food supply is being shut down. The builders are also participating in this action. The planned action is a response to the government's disappointing attitude towards the nitrogen dossier. There were also large farmers' protests in Germany at the end of November.

Jorine Cosse

Editor at Boerenbusiness who studies the dairy, pig (meat) and feed markets. Jorine analyzes the roughage market on a weekly basis and periodically the compound feed market.

j.cosse@boerenbusiness. Nl

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