Protests by the agricultural sector in France demanding exit from the European Union

Those demanding France's withdrawal from the European Union see it as a way to save their country from crises (social networking sites)

PARIS -

The public scene in France today may appear calmer after farmers' tractors withdrew from the country's main highways, but their anger is still smoldering on faint embers that could ignite at any moment.

Since the beginning of the Peasants' Revolution, a number of activists and politicians have been widely circulating on social media sites in France the hashtag "Frexit", in reference to the demand for France's exit from the European Union, considering that their country's exit from the Union would be the best and perhaps the only solution for the benefit of their economy, whether in... Agriculture or other field.

This slogan was seen on the tractors of some angry farmers, accompanied by phrases such as “Europe is destroying French agriculture” and “The European Union is killing us,” at a time when videos spread documenting the burning of the European Union flag.

A number of activists considered that France’s exit from the European Union would be the best solution (social networking sites)

Getting out of the European cloak

Those calling for France's withdrawal from the European Union see a way to save the country from crises that contribute to unemployment and increased poverty at the expense of workers and to the benefit of increasing the wealth of others.

The Republican People's Union Party (UPR) is considered one of the most important parties supporting this step to legally remove France from the Eurozone and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, party representative Patrice Calle explained that “talk about Frexit began 17 years ago with the party’s president, François Acellino, who presented himself for the presidential elections in 2017 and the European elections in 2019.”

Calle described France's stay in the European Union as "drowning" and "a kind of forward fall led by all supporters of the European doctrine, which was built about 50 years ago with the Treaty of Rome," criticizing at the same time his country's large contribution to the European budget compared to what it receives. Annual aid amounts to approximately 10 billion euros.

In 2023, the French contribution to the European Union budget reached 27.2 billion euros, representing 18.5% of the member states’ contribution, and thus France is the second largest contributor after Germany (23.6%) and before Italy (12.8%).

In a related context, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced during his public policy speech late last month that “those who call for an end to the application of the treaties are supporters of leaving the European Union, which would weaken France,” stressing that “a shrinking Europe means less power.” For France, we have Brexit as an example of that.”

Depuis #Rungis on fait a day with the torchon bleu in the toilets of the UE! (See video ⤵️) 🔥🔥🔥

When Claude works, he has his son and his cameras in the Rungis blouse!

We love you 🇫🇷! Long live the freedom! Long live the Frexit! Long live our liberation!… pic.twitter.com/obbgSAtmGc

- Florian Philippot (@f_philippot) January 29, 2024

"Brexit" is French

Agricultural economics expert Thierry Foch finds that the comparison between Britain's exit from the European Union (Brexit) and France's exit (Frexit) is illogical, because the United Kingdom was a member state with a weak agricultural sector and a much smaller number of farmers, and it was also facing a trade deficit in agricultural and food products. With a value ranging between 25 and 30 billion euros annually.

On the other hand, “France is the leading agricultural power in the European Union, and it receives about 10 billion euros in aid within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy,” Foch said.

He added in his interview with Al Jazeera Net that "applying the British model to France would be a real disaster that would harm the country's interests, and the best thing in this case is to direct the European Union's policy in the agricultural sector in a way that suits the member states."

His colleague, John Marie Cerrone, shares this opinion, and explains this in his interview with Al Jazeera Net by saying, "Historically, Great Britain was in the nineteenth century the first European country to choose industry, on the condition that it relied on the Commonwealth countries to guarantee its food."

He pointed out that making a comparison between the two countries would not be useful, as “France today does not import much from its former colonies, while the United Kingdom still maintains strong economic ties with its former colonies in the field of importing foodstuffs, such as New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Suffice it to say that the head of Queen Elizabeth It is still on Canadian banknotes today.”

On the other hand, the representative of the pro-Frexit party, Calle, criticizes the above because “the goal is to prevent people and frighten them from the idea that France’s exit from the union is the solution to their problems.”

He explains, “For example, the unemployment rate in Britain fell to less than 4% while it reached 7.4% in France, and British salaries increased last year by 7.3% while they did not exceed 4.6% in France, and inflation in the United Kingdom fell to 3.9% in Last November at a time when our annual inflation rate reached 4.9%.”

Suicidal step

With about 400,000 farms in France, Sironi does not believe that farmers will prefer to commit suicide outside Europe and give up aid amounting to 23,000 euros annually for each farmer and an important European market.

Sironi continued, "The idea of ​​leaving Europe does not fit with the French agricultural economy, even if we complain about the standards and restrictions. We, the French, are famous for our constant complaints about everything."

Since France is the country that benefits most from the common European policy, writer and political analyst Jean-Pierre Perrin believes that “France’s exit from the European Union will make farmers the first to lose, and it will be a suicidal step for them,” considering in his interview with Al Jazeera Net that these calls “will remain only marginal.” “Whether in demonstrations or on social media platforms, it will not enter into force seriously.”

For his part, expert Foch stressed that the decision to leave the European Union is “dangerous and does not happen easily,” as it can only be done by holding a national referendum and putting the question to the French people.

The agricultural economist believes that although some politicians highlight the Brexit from time to time, “it cannot be taken seriously because we will have a lot to lose, and we will have to completely reorganize the economy.”

But the representative of the Republican Popular Union Party, Patrice Calle, reads the scene completely differently, because in his view this policy aims to “compensate” for the decrease in salaries resulting from free trade imposed by member states and the absence of border taxes.

Since the French government’s promises to improve conditions “are still on paper and have not yet been implemented on the ground,” as farmers describe it, it is expected that attention will be drawn to what will happen during the agricultural exhibition in Paris in about two weeks.

In press statements, Arno Rousseau, head of the first agricultural union, warned the executive authority against the angry farmers resuming their demonstrations, if concrete efforts are not made before the opening of this annual meeting, which is attended by a number of politicians, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Source: Al Jazeera