“No intention of giving in”: farmers block two highways on the Franco-Belgian border

Part of the motorway network leading to the Franco-Belgian border has been closed since Thursday evening due to demonstrations by farmers, announced the prefecture of the French department of Nord, against the backdrop of the strong protest against the EU-Mercosur agreement. “Due to Belgian agricultural demonstrations in Belgium on the E42 and E19 motorways, where tractors occupy the roadway, the French motorway network is disrupted,” according to a press release from the prefecture during the night from Thursday to Friday.

The French motorways A27 and A2, which lead to these Belgian motorways, are therefore closed in the France-Belgium direction, upon exiting the Lille metropolis for the A27 and shortly after Valenciennes for the A2. On the A2, “the Valenciennes sector has been blocked since 8:30 p.m.” by members of the Young Farmers union, Anthime Coupet, president of the JA du Nord and Pas-de-Calais, told AFP, speaking of around a hundred Franco-Belgian farmers mobilized on the joint A2-E19 operation.

Another action is planned from Friday morning by the JA and the FDSEA du Nord on the A27, he adds. “For the moment we have announced to the prefect that we will be blocking until Monday, we have no intention of letting this happen,” promises Anthime Coupet: neither by the French government, nor by Brussels, nor by the Goretti storm which is due to blow hard in the North in the coming hours.

Farmers’ actions have skyrocketed in France in recent days, while the European Union must validate the free trade agreement with Mercosur on Friday. Paris will vote against this agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron declared Thursday evening, a choice which should however not block the vote on the treaty in Brussels, due to lack of a sufficient blocking minority among the 27 member states.