FARMERS’ ANGER SPREADS IN EUROPE
Farmers threw eggs and stones at the European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday, started fires near the building and set off fireworks as they demanded EU leaders do more to help them with taxes and rising costs.
With anger against green regulations and cheap imports shared among farmers across Europe, protesters from Italy, Spain and other European countries took part in the Brussels demonstration, which coincided with an EU summit nearby, as well as holding protests at home.
While local grievances also vary, the growing unrest, also seen in Portugal, Greece or Germany, exposes tensions over the EU's drive to tackle climate change.
With anger against green regulations and cheap imports shared among farmers across Europe, protesters from Italy, Spain and other European countries took part in the Brussels demonstration, which coincided with an EU summit nearby, as well as holding protests at home.
"We want to stop these crazy laws that come every single day from the European Commission," Jose Maria Castilla, a farmer representing the Spanish farmers' union Asaja, said in Brussels.
The protests across Europe come as the far right, for whom farmers represent a growing constituency, is seen making gains in June's European Parliament elections. Leaders are trying to quell the anger.
"Everywhere in Europe the same question arises: how do we continue to produce more but better? How can we continue to tackle climate change? How can we avoid unfair competition from foreign countries?," French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said, as he announced new measures in Paris.
Attal promised to make life easier for farmers and better protect them at French and EU level, including by banning cheap imports of products that use a pesticide forbidden in Europe and making sure food labels clearly state if produce is imported. More aid for farmers is also on the way, he said.
Farmers have already secured several measures, including the bloc's executive Commission proposals to limit farm imports from Ukraine and loosen some environmental regulations on fallow lands, which several EU leaders welcomed as they arrived at the summit.
But they say this is not enough, and that they are choked by taxes and green rules and face unfair competition from abroad.
"European elections are coming and politicians are super nervous and also the European Commission. And I think that this is the best moment that together all the European farmers take to the street," Spanish farmer Castilla added.