17.01.2026 00:00
Farmers in France are intensifying their protests against the free trade agreement signed between the European Union and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR). The actions, which gained attention with tons of potatoes dumped in front of the National Assembly in Paris, have now spilled into the streets with piles of fertilizer and hay. Protests have reached as far as President Emmanuel Macron's residence.
The reaction of farmers against the free trade agreement signed between the European Union and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) in France is becoming increasingly severe. Previously, farmers dumped tons of potatoes in front of the National Assembly, and this time they took to the streets with fertilizers, tires, and straw; protests extended to the front of President Emmanuel Macron's house.
FERTILIZER PROTEST IN DIJON
Farmers gathered in the city of Dijon, France, and dumped fertilizers in front of and around public buildings. Some activists increased the intensity of the protest by spraying fertilizers on the buildings with hoses, while traffic disruptions occurred due to the fertilizers piled up on the main arteries.
THEY PILED FERTILIZER IN FRONT OF MACRON'S HOUSE
The farmers' protest was not limited to public areas. It was observed that the activists also dumped fertilizers in front of President Emmanuel Macron's residence in Le Touquet. The images quickly resonated widely on social media.
One of the country's largest agricultural organizations, the National Federation of Agricultural Operators Unions (FNSEA), announced that the National Potato Producers Union (UNPT), which supports the actions, carried out a symbolic protest. The federation emphasized in its statement that the French agricultural sector acts in unity to protect its income, production standards, and agricultural sovereignty.
FARMERS CALL FOR URGENT ACTION
In the ongoing protests across the country, it is argued that the EU-MERCOSUR agreement will create unfair competition against French and European farmers. Farmers are demanding the suspension of the agreement and the implementation of concrete measures to protect the sector.
WHY IS THE EU-MERCOSUR AGREEMENT CONTROVERSIAL?
EU countries accepted the EU-MERCOSUR free trade agreement, which is planned to be approved in December 2025 but was postponed due to farmer protests and objections from France, Italy, and Poland, on January 9. Under the agreement, which is planned to be signed in Paraguay on January 17, customs facilitation is foreseen for agricultural products such as beef, poultry, dairy products, sugar, and ethanol from MERCOSUR countries.
In return, European farmers argue that cheap products with lower production standards will flood the EU market, which could drive thousands of family farms into bankruptcy.