How far-right hopes to benefit from European farmers' unrest
A snowballing protest movement by French farmers is the latest of a series of revolts by farmers across Europe, notably in the Netherlands, in Germany and in Spain. In France, where roadblocks and rallies began last week in the south-west of the country, the unrest is essentially over farmers’ dwindling incomes, squeezed by ever-tighter margins imposed by retail chains and energy costs, while some complain over what they argue are “punitive” environmental protection laws. As elsewhere on the continent, the far-right are attempting to make the most of the discontent, notably with an eye on European Parliament elections in early June. Ludovic Lamant reports.
TheThe snowballing protests by French farmers, now spreading across the country after beginning with roadblocks in the south-west last week, are the latest in a Europe-wide series that reflects a clear malaise among much of the continent’s agricultural sector.
