French farmers block Paris streets in protest against Mercosur trade deal

By Sybille de La Hamaide

PARIS, Jan 8 (Reuters) - French farmers blockaded roads into Paris and landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe with tractors on Thursday in protest against a sweeping trade deal the European Union is due to sign with ​South American nations.

Farmers from the right-wing Coordination Rurale union called for the protests in Paris amid fears the planned free trade ‌agreement with the Mercosur bloc will flood the EU with cheap food imports.

They also protested against high costs and excessive local regulation and demanded an end to a government policy ‌of culling herds of cows in response to a highly contagious cattle disease, which they consider excessive.

"We are between resentment and despair. We have a feeling of abandonment, with Mercosur being an example," Stephane Pelletier, a senior member of the Coordination Rurale union, told Reuters beneath the Eiffel Tower.

FARMERS' PROTEST PILES PRESSURE ON MACRON

The farmers overran police checkpoints to enter the city, driving along the Champs Elysees avenue and blocking the road around the Arc de ⁠Triomphe before dawn, before gathering in front of ‌the National Assembly.

National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet was booed and jostled when she stepped outside of the assembly's gates to talk with the Coordination Rurale protesters.

Dozens of tractors obstructed highways leading into the capital ahead of the morning ‍rush hour, including the A13 leading into Paris from the western suburbs and Normandy causing 150 km of traffic jams, the transport minister said.

Farmers from the FNSEA and young farmers unions joined them later at the Eiffel Tower in a calm demonstration.

"We’re going to import products from the rest of the world that ​don’t meet our standards – that’s not possible, that’s unacceptable. So we’re staying mobilised, we’re carrying on,” Arnaud Rousseau, president of the FNSEA farm ‌union told reporters, referring to the Mercosur deal.

The protest piles yet more pressure on President Emmanuel Macron and his government, a day before EU member states are expected to vote on the trade accord. Without a majority in parliament, any policy misstep by Macron risks a perilous vote of no confidence in the chamber.

MERCOSUR VOTE EXPECTED ON FRIDAY

France has long been a stiff opponent of the trade deal.

Even though Paris has won significant last-minute concessions, the trade deal is a political hot potato for the government, with municipal elections in March and the far right polling strongly ⁠ahead of elections to replace Macron in 2027.

"This treaty is still not acceptable," government ​spokesperson Maud Bregeon told France Info radio.

French Farm Minister Annie Genevard said on Wednesday ​that, even if EU members backed the accord, France would continue to fight against it in the European Parliament, whose approval will also be required for the agreement to enter into force.

This week the European Commission proposed making 45 ‍billion euros of EU funding available ⁠earlier to farmers in the bloc's next seven-year budget and agreed to cut import duties on some fertilizers in a bid to win over countries wavering in their support of Mercosur.

The deal is backed by countries such as Germany and Spain and the Commission ⁠appeared closer to winning Italy's backing. Rome's support for the deal would mean the EU had the votes needed to approve the trade accord even without French support.

A vote ‌on the accord is expected on Friday.

(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide, Gus Trompiz, Sarah Meyssonnier, additional reporting by Inti ‌Landauro and Camille Raynaud; Editing by Richard Lough, Toby Chopra, Ingrid Melander)