Watch: French farmers drive tractors into Paris to protest EU–Mercosur trade deal

From fears over price guarantees to concerns about corporate dominance and weak dispute mechanisms, farmers in France say the EU-Mercosur agreement could tilt the balance against small cultivators

French farmers made their presence felt in Paris on Thursday, rolling into the city on tractors to protest an EU trade agreement with the South American bloc Mercosur. They fear the deal could expose them to unfair competition, while the government cautioned against “illegal” actions.

Dozens of tractors arrived in the city before dawn, driving past the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. The protest, organised by the Rural Confederation union, was a clear message of dissent.

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“We said we’d come up to Paris — here we are,” said Ludovic Ducloux, co-head of one of the union’s chapters, as quoted by AFP. One of the tractors displayed a sign reading, “No To Mercosur.”

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The trade deal would create the world’s largest free-trade zone, allowing the 27-nation EU to export more vehicles, machinery, wines, and spirits to Latin America. But farmers worry that cheaper agricultural products from Brazil and neighbouring countries could undercut their businesses at home.

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Rural Confederation president Bertrand Venteau told AFP that the farmers planned a peaceful demonstration at symbolic Parisian locations, even if it meant they risked police detention.

However, a government spokeswoman warned against any “illegal” actions. “Blocking a motorway or attempting to gather in front of the National Assembly with all the symbolism that this entails is once again illegal,” Maud Bregeon told France Info Radio. She added that authorities “will not stand by.”

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The protests also reflect anger over the government’s decision to cull cows in response to nodular dermatitis, commonly called lumpy skin disease.

Earlier protests saw farmers blocking roads, spraying manure, and dumping garbage in front of government offices to demand policy changes.

In southwestern France near Bordeaux, about 40 farm vehicles blocked access to a fuel depot, local authorities said. Across the border, Belgian farmers staged their own massive protest in December, rolling around 1,000 tractors into Brussels.

Last month, President Emmanuel Macron met with farmers to discuss both the trade pact and the culling measures, but tensions are still high.

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