French Farmers Escalate Protests Against EU-Mercosur Trade Deal
French farmers have intensified their protests against a proposed trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South American countries, expressing growing discontent over the potential influx of cheaper foreign agricultural products. The protests, which began on Monday, have escalated with blockades of major highways and symbolic demonstrations across the country. Farmers fear that the EU-Mercosur deal, which would create the world's largest free-trade zone, will flood European markets with cheaper meat and produce from South American competitors who are not subject to the same stringent regulations as European farmers. They argue that this will undermine their livelihoods and threaten the future of French agriculture. On Tuesday, farmers blocked the A9 motorway, a crucial trade route between Spain and the rest of Europe, causing significant disruption to the flow of goods. They also staged demonstrations in front […]