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French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has promised the protesting farmers exemptions from European regulations. »Our agriculture is our strength and our pride. That's why I solemnly declare here: There must be a French exception in agriculture," said Attal in his first government statement in Paris, without providing further details.

Farmers were waiting for answers in view of the “piling up of regulations that come from above,” said the head of government. In the negotiations on the brownfield sites prescribed by the EU, there are now signs that the exemption will be extended: "We are on the right track," said Attal.

As part of the common agricultural policy, farmers are actually supposed to leave four percent of their arable land fallow or plant it with hedges. However, there was an exception for last year, which numerous states are lobbying for to be extended.

In his government statement, Attal repeated and specified numerous proposals that President Emmanuel Macron had already made two weeks ago: less bureaucracy, community service for delinquent minors under 16, school uniforms for everyone, 50,000 positions for eco-civil service, national compulsory service for young people from 2026.

Attal said he also wants to propose a draft law on “active euthanasia” by the summer. He encouraged the ministries to offer their employees a four-day week - but with the requirement that they work all their weekly hours on the four days. Cleaning staff should no longer be “made invisible” but should be able to do their work during normal office hours, said Attal.

Similar to Macron, the prime minister addressed his announcements primarily to voters “who earn too much to receive help, but not enough not to have to pay; who have the feeling that decisions are made over their heads that always benefit the same people."

Attal promised “not to pursue environmental policies against the population.” Specifically, he announced that he would encourage the 50 largest producers of plastic waste in France to voluntarily reduce it.

In order to be able to implement these plans, Attal also wants to work with the opposition. Of course, people won't agree on everything, said Attal. But the prime minister assured: “I will never refuse to talk to each other. My door will always be open.«

Since the parliamentary elections in June 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist camp no longer has an absolute majority in the National Assembly. It is therefore dependent on votes from the opposition for its projects. Finding allies for their projects has so far been difficult. Three weeks ago, Macron swapped Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne for the whiz kid and previous Education Minister Attal after the wrangling over the controversial immigration law led to concessions on civil rights and tensions within his own ranks.

The left-wing opposition had already submitted a motion of no confidence before the speech began, but it had little chance of success. The left-wing populist party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon called Attal's government statement "the most reactionary speech of the century."

lpz/AFP/dpa