French Farmers on the Move Again Against Green Policies
26th May 2025
Once again, tractors have taken over the roads of France. On Monday, May 26th, more than 200 agricultural vehicles blocked the main arteries leading into Paris, causing significant traffic disruptions. The so-called escargot (‘snail’) operations—extremely slow protest marches—brought key routes to a halt. This is not mere congestion; it is the expression of the deep frustration that thousands of farmers feel as their way of life is being continuously threatened by green policies pushed from Paris and Brussels.
This new wave of mobilizations coincides with the review of a proposed law aimed at “lifting restrictions” on the agricultural sector, including a return to certain pesticides. However, pressure from ecologists and leftist deputies, who have submitted numerous amendments, threatens to derail the reform.
Farmers see it clearly: the political class still fails to understand or address the needs of the primary sector. Worse still, the official narrative increasingly paints them as “radicalized,” “violent,” or even as being from the “far right.” What they fail to see or rather admit is that in reality, many of these protesters are in fact disillusioned left wingers, traditionally linked to trade unions and the rural world.The rise of Coordination Rurale farming union, known for its iconic yellow hats, has broken France’s largest farm union, the FNSEA’s monopoly and has channeled the discontent of a generation that feels abandoned by the system. Its leaders, such as Serge Bousquet-Cassagne and Lionel Candelon have given a voice back to small and medium-sized producers in the face of an increasingly distant political and administrative machine.