Efe Paris

Paris

Updated Sunday, February 4, 2024-17:13

  • Economy Escalation of criticism in France against Spain: Segolene Royal calls tomatoes "inedible"

  • Agriculture Segolene Royal insists on its criticism of Spanish tomatoes and denounces "unfair competition"

The French Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, contradicted this Sunday the former socialist candidate for the country's presidency Ségolène Royal, who attacked the

quality of Spanish organic tomatoes

, and assured that they follow the same standards as the French ones.

In statements to the LCI channel, Fesneau accused the former French Minister of the Environment of

"populism" and "demagogy"

, while accusing her of having soured relations with Spain.

"The regulation on organic products is European,

Spanish tomatoes respect the same standards as French ones

," said the French head of Agriculture.

In the midst of the agricultural crisis opened in France due to farmers' demonstrations, Royal assured last Tuesday that

Spanish organic tomatoes are "inedible"

and accused Spanish producers of not being authentically organic.

Fesneau recalled that Spain showed solidarity with France in a recent rinderpest crisis and

pointed out that Royal's words cloud relations

with a country with which trade is intense.

He acknowledged that tomatoes may have

less flavor outside of their usual season

, in summer, but he assured that this also happens to French tomatoes.

"But attacking our Spanish friends, with whom we trade, who

helped us a lot in this issue of bovine disease

, is unconscious," said Fesneau.

The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, had already responded to Royal this Thursday at the end of the European Council in Brussels: "I invite you to come to Spain to

try any of the Spanish tomato varieties

and you will see that the Spanish tomato is unbeatable. ".

The former candidate for the Elysée, who

lost in 2007 against the conservative Nicolas Sarkozy, responded to Sánchez through the social network

sanitary conditions are not equal

, competition is unfair".