France tractor protests: Jeremy Clarkson sends message of support to French farmers

Jeremy Clarkson threw his weight behind France’s farmers as they besieged Paris and other French cities on Tuesday, wishing them “good luck” in a message entirely in French.

The ex-Top Gear presenter’s words of encouragement came as Emmanuel Macron blamed war-torn Ukraine for intensifying the European agricultural crisis by flooding the market, notably with poultry, and undercutting France.

With polls pointing to gains by the far-Right in European Parliament elections, the French president is under pressure to assuage farmers, who are angry over rising costs, mounting red tape and cheap food imports.

On Tuesday, a convoy of 200-odd tractors continued its push to reach Rungis, the world’s largest fresh food market also known as “the belly of Paris”, following calls by some radical farmers to “starve” the capital to force government concessions.

Clarkson, 63, whose Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm chronicles his attempt at running a 1,000-acre farm in the Cotswolds, posted a short message on X, formerly Twitter.

The English translation is: “French farmers. I bet no one has ever said this before but good luck, coming from England.”

His comments came a day after one French farmer at a checkpoint north of Paris told The Telegraph that his country needed a figure like Clarkson to serve as the figurehead of its movement, which has huge public backing.

Robin Leduc, 30, who runs a 200-hectare farm in Canly, said: “One of our French celebrities needs to do the same as Jeremy Clarkson. It’s everything he explained that’s why and how we are here today.

“You may have left the EU but we share many of the same problems regarding all these environmental rules.”

Farmers kept up their blockades in eight choke points around Paris on Tuesday as they demanded better pay and conditions, a reduction in EU red tape and a level playing field with producers from countries that have less stringent conditions on food exports.

Despite the ongoing unrest, Mr Macron left the country on Monday night for a two-day state visit to Sweden, which is on the verge of becoming a Nato member following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The tractor chaos outside Paris offered a sharp contrast to the pomp and circumstance of the receptions and banquets hosted in the Swedish capital by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.

But an Elysée source said the visit had already been postponed once and “another cancellation would send out a message of instability and damage France’s credibility”.

At a press conference, Mr Macron said it was “too easy” to blame the EU for the French farmers’ woes when they would have “no remuneration” without the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), whose main beneficiary is France.

Mr Macron said he would ask for more flexibility from Brussels on imposing new green rules on fallow land at a European Council summit on Thursday and would push for a suspension in progress towards a Mercosur trade deal with Latin American countries.

The war in Ukraine contributed to the crisis in French farming as tariff-free Ukrainian imports were undercutting Gallic farmers, he claimed.

“We have asked to have clear measures on imports from Ukraine because today we have things in volume and quality that are destabilising the European market, whether it comes to chickens or cereals,” he said.

However, one French union leader called for all imports from Ukraine to be cut completely.

‘Agriculture sacrificed on the altar of war’

Franck Laborde, head of France’s AGPM association of maize producers, said cheap Ukrainian poultry was not reared to adequate standards.

“We are opening our doors wide in Europe to Ukrainian production so that they can finance the war,” he said. “This is not acceptable. Agriculture is being sacrificed on the altar of war.”

In a speech to parliament, Gabriel Attal, the newly elected French prime minister, said that France needed an “agricultural exception” to European Union red tape. In his general statement to MPs, Mr Attal also pledged to pay all outstanding CAP payments “into farmers’ bank accounts” by March 15.

Unions appeared unimpressed. Alice Avisse, of France’s biggest farming union FNSEA, said: “We’re not moving, we’re going to stay here until concrete emergency measures are taken.”

Véronique Le Floc’h, head of the militant coordination rurale, said: “We remain in position around Paris.”

The French government has offered a series of concessions to the French farmers.

These include abandoning a planned increase in diesel fuel duties, offering the equivalent of some £50 million to organic farms and imposing fines on supermarkets that do not pay enough for French produce. But the farmers want far more.

A tractor convoy that left from Agen, southwestern France, on Monday and which included members of coordination rurale, said it intended to target Rungis market. Any disruption could bring chaos to the capital’s food supply.

Riot police briefly blocked the tractor convoy’s progress on Tuesday morning but it then left the motorway leading to the capital and proceeded on smaller roads, warning police not to “trap” it again or face violence.

Armoured vehicles were stationed outside the market, which feeds at least 12 million people per day, and police were granted authorisation to fly drones overhead.

While farmers encircled the capital there were similar scenes at Toulouse airport, where the main entrance was blocked by tractors and straw was set ablaze.

French farmers also targeted Aldi, Lidl and some French supermarkets in southern and western France to vent their fury at “unfairly” low prices.

Farming is set to be a key issue in the upcoming European Parliament elections, with various countries seeking action, including Germany and now Spain.

In France, Marine Le Pen’s hard-Right National Rally party is expected to make significant gains in the June elections and is 10 points ahead of Mr Macron’s Renaissance party, according to polls.

Reacting to the latest government pledges, Ms Le Pen said: “What is the point of talking about voluntarism when you know that you have handed the intellectual and institutional reins to the supranational authority of the European Union?

“What’s the point of declarations about farming being above all else when you’re trapped in the declinology logic of green wokeism?

Make sure to check back in later for more updates and to join the conversation in our comment section

06:21 PM GMT

Thank you for following and check back in later

Thank you for following our live blog on the farmers’ protests and tractor blockades across France today.

Some of today’s headlines include:

• A split has opened between the main farmers’ union and more radical protestors who have said they want to “starve” Paris to win government concessions

• Protestors blocked the main entrance to Toulouse airport and burnt straw bales outside

• Gabriel Attal, the French prime minister, said a “French agricultural exception” was needed to combat EU red tape

• Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said it was “too easy” to blame all farmers’ issues on the EU and that tariff-free Ukrainian imports were undercutting domestic production

• Jeremy Clarkson wished French farmers “good luck” in a post showing his support online

Make sure to check back in later for updates and to join the conversation in the comments

06:12 PM GMT

Protest in pictures

06:03 PM GMT

'EU is deaf and blind', says protester

One farmer from Rural Coordination, the second largest French agricultural union, has said the “EU is deaf and blind” to some of the protestors’ demands.

Damien Brunnelle told France 24 how British farmers are authorised to use certain pesticides that are not permitted in France under EU regulations.

He said: “It’s a miniscule amount, like a vaccine, that helps protect beets in the first 60 days. The EU is deaf and blind.”

Mr Brunelle emphasised how public opinion was currently on the protestors’ side but said exercising caution was important in the coming days.

05:30 PM GMT

Macron blames Ukraine war for fueling French farming crisis

The French president told a press conference in Sweden earlier on Tuesday that tariff-free Ukrainian imports were undercutting French farmers.

“We have asked to have clear measures on imports from Ukraine because today we have things in volume and quality that are destabilising the European market, whether it comes to chickens or cereals,” he said.

Gabriel Attal, the prime minister, added that France needs an “agricultural exception” to European Union red tape.

The two leaders are attempting to calm rampant farmers’ protests which have seen motorways blockaded by tractors across the country.

05:10 PM GMT

Watch: Toulouse Airport blockaded and straw bales set alight

05:02 PM GMT

Why are farmers in France protesting?

Farmers in France have said they are not being paid enough and are being choked by excessive environmental protection regulations.

Here are a breakdown of some of their key concerns:

Costs

Farmers have said a push to lower food inflation by retailers and the government has left producers unable to cover transport, fertiliser and energy costs. They also took issue with the government’s energy transition policy, which would involve phasing out tax breaks on diesel fuel for farmers.

Imports 

Protestors have expressed discontent over large Ukrainian imports, which have become standard since the EU waived quotas during the Russian invasion, and renewed negotiations over an EU trade deal with the South American bloc, or Mercosur.

Environmental red tape 

Farmers have taken issue with France’s implementation of EU policy, which is seen as overcomplicated, and EU subsidy rules, particularly a recent requirement to leave 4% of farmland fallow. Irrigation projects, animal welfare debates and pesticide discussions have also acted as sticking points.

04:39 PM GMT

Pictured: Tires ablaze in Corsica

04:36 PM GMT

Attal outlines 'four priorities' for France

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Gabriel Attal, the French prime minister, outlined four key priorities for “action” amid ongoing farmers’ protests across the country.

Mr Attal said they were “work”, “public services”, “authority” and “a more breathable environment”.

He stated the importance of work “paying better than inactivity” and public services being “accessible and of quality” for all.

He also emphasised the importance of “good citizenship and respect for rights and duties”.

04:26 PM GMT

British farmers weigh in on protests

04:21 PM GMT

Talks ongoing for South American trade agreement

The European Commission has said it is still aiming to conclude a free trade agreement with the South American bloc, despite Macron stating he does not want to sign the accord in its current draft form.

The office of the French president expressed concerns that imported products were not guaranteed to follow the same rules as European goods and said on Monday that it understood the EU had halted talks on the agreement.

The Commission has since rejected the French view and said talks are still ongoing.

The Mercosur agreement is a trade accord established between the EU, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay in 2019.

It aims to increase bilateral trade and investment between the EU and the Mercosur bloc, while lowering tariff and non-tariff trade barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises.

But with tractors blocking highways across France, and polls pointing to gains by the far-Right in European Parliament elections, French President Emmanuel Macron is under pressure to assuage farmers who are angry over rising costs and cheap food imports.

03:50 PM GMT

How widespread are farmers' protests?

Other European countries have staged protests mirroring the blockades currently taking place across France.

In Italy, farmers have blocked roads near Milan, with protests spanning across north and south in recent weeks.

Belgian farmers have launched tractor protests, threatening to block access to the Zeebrugge container port and disrupting traffic on the E19 motorway near the Dutch border.

Spanish farming unions have also said they would join the EU movement through a number of “mobilisations”, while Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis offered to speed up financial aid to farmers in an effort to stave off the protests engulfing other nations.

Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania have all seen their own farming protests too.

Much anger is directed at environmental requirements included in the EU’s updated Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the bloc’s forthcoming “Green Deal”.

03:22 PM GMT

Pictured: Road blockades across France

03:05 PM GMT

Macron: 'Facile' to blame everything on EU

It is “facile” to blame all of French farmers’ issues on the European Union, Emmanuel Macron has said.

He said: “And when you look at things, fruit and vegetables, market gardening, winegrowing in certain regions – I’m thinking in particular of the Hérault and the Gard – livestock farming and poultry have experienced difficulties in recent months, but I think it would be facile to blame everything on Europe.

“These difficulties are sometimes cyclical, other times structural. As far as poultry is concerned, it is indeed the arrival, in particular, of poultry that was much cheaper from Ukraine.

He added: “As far as wine-growing is concerned, as we know, there are also very large volumes for certain categories, which creates abundance and puts some of our producers in difficulty, despite all the efforts they have made.

“And we also know that the weather can be unpredictable for some producers. So what is the answer? To continue to apply the laws that we have made in France.”

02:56 PM GMT

Farmers would have no income without EU grants, says Macron

Emmanuel Macron has said some French farmers would have “no income” and “not be able to make a living” without European Union grants handed out as part of the Common Agricultural Policy, Henry Samuel writes.

“Without the Common Agricultural Policy, our farmers would have no income, and many of them would not be able to make a living,” he told a press conference in Sweden.

“And so I hear a lot of things, but we need to set the record straight. We have a strong European policy that provides very substantial income support for our farmers.

“We have worked hard in recent years at French and European level to improve this income. And if you look at the average figures, take the years together, it has improved a lot, but some sectors are in difficulty and inequalities have increased within sectors.”

02:50 PM GMT

Farmers block Toulouse airport entrance and burn straw bales

Protesting French farmers have blocked the main entrance to Toulouse airport and are burning straw bales outside it.

Stacks of straw and rubber tyres were set alight on a roundabout outside Toulouse-Blagnac airport on Tuesday morning.

The airport had warned travellers to “plan ahead” on Monday and said it had expected the disruption.

The regional prefect said it is still accessible via adjoining car parks and it does not appear to have caused significant flight delays.

Farmers are protesting throughout France against cheap food imports and environmental regulations.

02:42 PM GMT

Attal takes swipe at political opponents

Gabriel Attal took a swipe at his political opponents, notably the hard-Right National Rally of Marine Le Pen, reports Henry Samuel.

He said he wished to address “all those French people, often from the middle class [...] who don’t complain when they often feel they are being subjected”.

“I hear them, I understand them, and as the majority has been working on this since 2017, I want to help respond to them,” he said.

“I want to do this with all the more determination because I know the risk for them of letting them give in to sirens that would lead us to chaos, division and collapse.

“For I am clear that while we are taking action, there are those who are watching, fomenting anger and hoping to reap the rewards.”

02:29 PM GMT

Macron: 'Too easy' to blame EU for farmers' woes

It is “too easy” to blame the European Union for French farmers’ woes, Emmanuel Macron has said.

“We did a lot in the last years to help,” he told a press conference as he visited Sweden.

“It would be too easy to blame everything on Europe.”

He added that issues in the agriculture industry were often “structural and cyclical” and that external factors such as a surge in Ukrainian poultry imports could be solved through better regulation.

02:24 PM GMT

France needs 'exception' to EU red tape, says prime minister

In his general statement to parliament three weeks after taking up his post, Gabrial Attal, France’s new prime minister, said that his government has “taken resolute action for our country’s agricultural sovereignty”, Henry Samuel reports.

“Our agriculture is a strength, not just because it feeds us in the truest sense of the word, but because it is one of the foundations of our identity and our traditions,” he said. “Because our farmers embody fundamental values.

“So, I say here solemnly, there is and there must be a French agricultural exception. I’m clear-sighted, I’m clear-sighted about the piling up of red tape.”

He added: “Faced with decisions that fall from on high and sometimes from who knows where, agriculture also has its doubts and is waiting for answers and solutions. We’ll be there, without any ambiguity”.

02:18 PM GMT

EU rules make no sense, says Italian protest leader

The main organiser of farmer protests in northern Italy has said European Union rules “make no sense”.

Luisito Naldi said he was seeking a meeting with prime minister Georgia Meloni’s government and warned that “the demonstrations will continue until they invite us to Rome”.

“Europe imposes rules on us that make no sense,” he said. “We can no longer make a living ... we want to make more money and have our products valued for what they are.”

02:16 PM GMT

Macron demands restrictions on Ukraine imports

Emmanuel Macron has called for restrictions on imported Ukrainian agricultural products as he looks to calm protests by farmers disgruntled and cheap food imports.

“We have asked to have clear measures on imports from Ukraine because today we have things in volume and quality that are destabilising the European market, whether it comes to chickens or cereals,” he said on a visit to Sweden.

02:14 PM GMT

Pictured: Chicken crosses road

02:06 PM GMT

Italian farmers join protests

Italian farmers are also staging protests and blocking roads with tractors near Milan.

The latest in a wave spreading across the county, impromptu protests have arisen over recent weeks from north to south.

Convoys blocking roads are now a regular occurrence, although at much lower levels to Italy’s European counterparts in France, Germany and Belgium.

Angry about EU regulations, the impact of inflation and taxes on their products, they have demanded the suspension of their mortgages, with one placard outside Milan declaring: “We are ready to block everything betrayed by Europe.”

01:46 PM GMT

‘We don’t want to ruin French people’s lives’

A union leader has said protesting French farmers do not want to “ruin French people’s lives”.

Arnaud Rousseau, president of the FNSEA, said: “Our goal isn’t to bother or to ruin French people’s lives, our goal is to put pressure on the government to rapidly find solutions out of the crisis.”

He added that the blockades would continue until at least Thursday, when Macron will be in Brussels to discuss the European Union budget.

01:31 PM GMT

Cut Ukrainian chicken imports, protestors demand

One union leader has demanded that the European cuts imports of Ukrainian produce.

Franck Laborde, who heads the AGPM association of maize producers, said cheap Ukrainian poultry was not reared to the same standards.

“We are opening our doors wide in Europe to Ukrainian production so that they can finance the war,” he said.

“This is not acceptable. Agriculture is being sacrificed on the altar of war.”

Mr Laborde added that an increase in environmental rules “needs to stop”.

01:23 PM GMT

Protestors vow to continue Aldi blockade

Around 160 lorries pass through the Aldi hub every day. Aldi’s regional management fears a shortage in some of the region’s shops if the protests continue, reports Henry Samuel.

“We’re going to blockade as long as necessary – either the government backs down or we stay,” said Laurent Thérond, spokesman for the Confédération paysanne in the Vaucluse.

“We’re waiting for a guarantee of levels of remuneration that will allow farmers to make a decent living,” he told France Bleu.

The blockade began on Monday.

01:07 PM GMT

Telegraph readers have their say

Below the line, readers are discussing the farmers’ protest – drawing comparisons to the farming industry in Britain.

Alistair T said: “These politicians need to be careful. The UK and EU get through masses more food than they produce and new Net Zero policies are pushing Europe towards producing just a tiny fraction of what it consumes. Recent events in the Persian Gulf have shown how vulnerable our supply lines can be, so we could be absolutely over a barrel if this situation progresses.”

Queen P said: “The Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau are responsible – with the Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin – for managing the protest, not the President who is responsible for maintaining international relations. His presence is not necessary as anyone who understands French politics would know.”

G RS said: “Good for the farmers – the French have a spine when confronted by tin eared governments. This country is supine when faced with a government that has repeatedly neglected those that voted for it.”

PJ Griffiths said: “I am with the French farmers. Make people realise food production is the most important sector and because people want cheap food, farmers need help with the costs of production, and to maintain their unstinting commitment.”

Join the conversation in the comments section below.

12:58 PM GMT

Protestors settle in with barbecues and hay wind shields

Protesting farmers have settled in on a motorway east of Paris with barbecues and wind shields made of hay.

“We have everything we need to eat, barbecues, and a wall of hay to shield ourselves from the wind,” said Jean-Baptiste Benoit, a protestor in the Paris region.

“We have the equipment and we’re settling in alright!”

12:40 PM GMT

Watch: Belgian farmers force politician to flee protest

12:19 PM GMT

We're here to defend French farming, says protestor

One protesting French farmer has said the tractor protestors are rallying to defend “French agriculture”.

Christophe Rossignol, 52, runs an organic orchard and was manning a barricade east of Paris.

“We’ve come to defend French agriculture,” he told France 24. “We go from crisis to crisis.”

Some vehicles near him carried placards declaring “no food without farmers” and “the end of us would mean famine for you”.

12:01 PM GMT

In pictures: Macron in Sweden

11:48 AM GMT

Macron inspects Swedish army alongside King Carl XVI Gustaf

Emmanuel Macron has inspected the Swedish army’s Grenadier Guards alongside King Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm.

Mr Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were welcomed to the Swedish royals’ Stockholm residence on Tuesday morning by a guard of honour.

His visit is the first by a French president since Francois Hollande in 2014.

11:30 AM GMT

Watch: Farmers set rubbish alight at Lidl depot

Protesting farmers set dumped rubbish on fire as they blockaded a Lidl logistics hub on Monday night in Beaucaire, a commune in southern France’s Gard region.

11:15 AM GMT

Split opens up between farmers over 'starve Paris' threat

A split has opened between the more moderate main farmers’ union and more radical protestors who said on Monday that they aimed to “starve” Paris to win concessions from the government.

Arnaud Rousseau, the leader of the FNSEA, said he was against any disruption of food distribution.

“Our objective is not to starve French people, but to feed them,” he told the Europe 1 broadcaster.

“We have told rival unions since the start that heading to Rungis in a show of force is not a good idea.”

Rungis is the largest fresh food market in Europe and some protesting farmers have vowed to blockade it.

11:03 AM GMT

Pictured: Sheep joins blockade

10:54 AM GMT

New prime minister facing biggest challenge yet

France’s new prime minister is facing the largest challenge of his premiership so far.

Gabriel Attal, 34, started the role on Jan 9 and is expected to address the French parliament today.

He is set to announce a raft of measures aimed at assuaging the anger of farmers over their working conditions.

The FDSEA, the main farmers union, judged that a first battery of measures announced on Friday did not go far enough.

“The watchword is to stay as long as we do not have an answer to the main issues”, said Thomas Robin, a cereals farmer producer.

10:43 AM GMT

Macron decided he could not cancel Sweden trip

Despite the ongoing unrest, Emmanuel Macron left France on Monday night for a two-day state visit to Sweden, Henry Samuel writes.

The Nordic country is on the cusp of becoming a Nato member following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Images of tractors blocking motorways leading to the French capital will offer a sharp contrast to the pomp and circumstance of the receptions and banquets set to be hosted in Stockholm by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.

But an Elysée source said the visit had already been postponed once and “another cancellation would send out a message of instability and damage France’s credibility”.

10:38 AM GMT

Belgian farmers launch their own tractor protests

Belgian farmers have launched their own tractor protests and have threatened to block access to the Zeebrugge container port.

Financial daily De Tijd reported that they would attempt to stop all access to the country’s second largest port for at least 36 hours from 2pm local time (1pm GMT).

Belgian farmers this morning disrupted traffic on the E19 motorway near the Dutch border as a tractor convoy headed for Antwerp, the country’s largest port.

The protestors are opposed to rising costs, cheap food imports and European Union environmental policies.

Alexander de Croo, the prime minister, is due to meet farming unions on Tuesday.

On Monday, the farmers blocked highways in the south of the country and parked tractors near to the EU Parliament in Brussels.

10:31 AM GMT

Drones flown over world’s largest market as French farmers close in

French police have been granted permission to fly drones over the world’s largest fresh food market as protesting French farmers push to reach it, reports Henry Samuel.

A group of 90-odd tractors continued in their attempt to reach Rungis, which is known as “the belly of Paris”, after calls by some radical farmers to “starve” the capital to win government concessions.

Riot police briefly blocked the tractor convoy’s progress but it then left the motorway and proceeded on smaller roads, warning police not to “trap” it again or face violence.

French police have stationed armoured vehicles outside Rungis, which feeds at least 12 million people per day, and have been granted authorisation to fly drones over the vast market outside the capital.

10:24 AM GMT

Why Macron left France for Sweden

Emmanuel Macron departed France for a two-day visit to Sweden on Monday evening just as French farmers were beginning to set up blockades around Paris.

The Nordic country is on the cusp of becoming a member of Nato following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Macron is due to speak in Stockholm on Tuesday at a press conference with Ulf Kristersson, the Swedish prime minister.

The two leaders will also sign a new bilateral strategic partnership, according to the French presidency.

Macron will then head to the southern Swedish town of Lund on Wednesday for, among other things, a visit to the under-construction European Spallation Source (ESS), a scientific neutron research centre co-financed by France and 12 other European countries.

10:20 AM GMT

Watch: French farmers’ protests explained

10:18 AM GMT

Farmers want to ‘starve Paris’

Hundreds of tractors laid siege to Paris on Monday as farmers furious at French and European rules said they intended to “starve Parisians”, writes Henry Samuel.

Long lines of tractors blocked motorways at eight entry points to the city as one militant union promised to take control of the world’s biggest fresh food market.

“[Blockading Paris] will happen naturally. Parisians are going to be hungry. The goal is to starve Parisians. That’s it”, said Benoît Durand, a grain farmer.

Mr Durand, like thousands of others, said he was struggling against low income, red tape and environmental policies that were pushing costs up.

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, who is under mounting pressure to reassert his authority, was set to announce new measures for farmers as early as Tuesday, the Elysée said.

Read the full story here.

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