Emmanuel Macron announced, Friday February 23, the cancellation of the debate that the Presidency of the Republic wanted to organize on Saturday between the Head of State and stakeholders from the agricultural world. The president of the National Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FNSEA), Arnaud Rousseau, announced earlier in the day that he would not participate in the dialogue. At issue: the invitation – since withdrawn – from the environmentalist collective Les Soulèvements de la Terre.
“The agricultural unions wanted this show not to be “a show like the others”. They had wanted an open “debate”. They are now demanding its cancellation. Of which actwrites Mr. Macron in a message published onFriday night. I will invite all the agricultural unions tomorrow morning before the official opening of the show. I will be there to open it and will contact all those who want to exchange as I do every year”he continues.
The president of Rural Coordination, Véronique Le Floc’h, announced Friday evening to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that she accepted the meeting proposed by Mr. Macron before the opening of the Agricultural Show. “We will respond, as we always do, to this Republican invitation”Arnaud Rousseau also declared on BFM-TV, Friday evening. “The President of the Republic is expected first of all on what he will announce, on the very concrete expectations that farmers have and on the vision that he wants to convey. » “I will be there tomorrow morning at the invitation of the President of the Republic”he also confirmed.
The invitation from the Uprisings of the Earth – which the government wanted dissolved a few months ago – provoked the anger of Mr. Rousseau on Friday. “Politics is something other than communications or shows. And in the moment we are, [cette invitation] sends the image back to farmers that ultimately nothing has been understood about their problems”he estimated Friday morning on BFM-TV.
A few hours later, in a message published onthe Elysée finally affirmed that The Uprisings of the Earth had not been “neither invited nor contacted” and conceded ” a mistake “ done “during the interview with the press ahead of the event”. ” The invitations (…) concern farmers, agricultural unions, agri-food industries, distributors and environmental associations represented in the bodies. In addition, contacts were made with groups that have disrupted the show in the past to offer them constructive expression as part of this exchange”further clarified the presidency.
Before the development of the Elysée, the Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, had dissociated himself from this invitation, judging it “inappropriate given the context”. The Earth Uprisings constitute “a collective whose model of expression is rather the Molotov cocktail”he said in the TF1 morning show. “So we don’t discuss with these people. »
Friday afternoon, another announced participant, Michel-Edouard Leclerc, in turn publicly refused to be present during this debate. “I will not participate in what I consider to be gross manipulation”, writes the president of the strategic committee of the centers E.Leclerc onafter specifying not having “received invitation from the President of the Republic to come”.
“Deception”
Late Thursday afternoon, the presidency announced its intention to organize a major exchange between the head of state and “all stakeholders in the agricultural world”, SATURDAY, “to outline the future” of the sector. But the organization of this debate modeled on the model of the major discussions set up during the “yellow vests” crisis » was immediately upset by the refusal of the president of the FNSEA – and that of the Young Farmers – to allow Les Uprisings of the Earth to participate.
The Elysée initially decided to backpedal and announced that the movement was no longer invited “to guarantee the serenity of the debates”. “Arnaud Rousseau put pressure not to face us and Macron went to bed”reacted Friday morning The Uprisings of the Earth onby adding : “ Rest assured: we would not have participated in this deception, but thank you for the show! ».
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The debate is planned to last at least two hours and was supposed to bring together the main leaders of the agricultural unions (FNSEA, Young Farmers, Rural Coordination, Peasant Confederation, etc.), but also representatives of mass distribution and industrialists. Several leaders of environmental associations are also invited, such as the Climate Action and Future Generations Network. “All stakeholders will be able to give their point of view, make proposals, compare ideas”promised the presidency.
The delays surrounding this debate come as farmers, angry for several weeks, maintain pressure on the government. On Wednesday, Mr. Attal summarized the dozens of commitments and projects already launched to respond to the anger of the agricultural world. New measures were announced on visas for foreign seasonal workers, pesticides, with the abandonment of a controversial indicator, and remuneration.