In Brittany, France’s leading agricultural region, Yann Manac’h was champing at the bit on his dairy farm in Carhaix (Finistère). When Arnaud Rousseau, president of the National Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FNSEA), announced on France Inter, Monday January 22, actions “all week and as long as necessary”the farmer immediately released a press release.
Cantonal representative of the Departmental Federation of Farmers’ Unions of Finistère, the Carhaisien declared himself “in mobilization order” and asked “to all farmers, as well as to [ses] sympathizers and collaborators of the agricultural world, to be ready to take action to obtain answers to [leurs] demands and uphold the consideration due to the women and men who nourish France”.
Accustomed to elbowing to defend his city’s public hospital or to heckling the regional boards of directors of the Sodiaal cooperative to criticize the purchase price of milk, Yann Manac’h was the first unionist from the majority union to shift into the peninsula. Shortly after his press release, he announced the blocking of the national road which serves the heart of the region.
Doubling Rural Coordination
“The police are not at peace. We see them going around the farms to gather information. They know that the wind always comes from the west! »he harangues, before announcing a resumption of contacts with ” all [leurs] partners »understand the bosses of the agri-food world who had fomented the “red caps” movement in 2013. Yann Manac’h knows that the simple evocation of the memory of the fight against the ecotax is enough to worry in the corridors of the institutions, so the Finistère almost enjoys it.
Elsewhere in Brittany, the mobilization of the majority union was slower. In the FNSEA premises, we held a series of meetings to orchestrate the recovery of the discontent, in order to double the Rural Coordination, chaired by Véronique Le Floc’h, breeder in Finistère. This minority organization announced very early – on January 19 – its intention to demonstrate, Thursday, January 25, in front of the Brittany prefecture in Rennes.
Since then, angry fishermen but also self-employed workers and construction bosses are expected alongside rural Coordination unionists. Jean Rozé, president of the Morbihan branch, warns: “The FNSEA wants to take control of the movement, but we think we are dreaming. This union goes to the ministry to take measures. Now it’s over. We’re not going to give up! »
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