President Emmanuel Macron held a meeting with representatives of the agricultural sector at the Élysée on Thursday morning to discuss the future of agriculture and address the end of the winter crisis. Despite being described as a “working meeting” by the Élysée, the President declared that he did not believe the anger within the agricultural sector would end anytime soon, but that he would share his vision for agriculture in the coming months.
Following the meeting, union leaders reported that President Macron emphasized the need to focus on building a project for the future of agriculture rather than running after anger. He acknowledged the ongoing mobilization among the agricultural unions and expressed a commitment to work together to create a new vision for the sector.
The majority union, FNSEA, has been waiting for the President’s vision for the future of French agriculture after facing the worst crisis in thirty years. President Macron stated that he would only commit to this vision if part of the agricultural world was prepared to collaborate on shaping it, and suggested waiting until after the upcoming elections to the chambers of agriculture in January 2025 to avoid interference from union competition.
The meeting took place following a series of commitments by the government in response to the agricultural crisis, with more than 60 promises made to address various grievances within the sector. The National Assembly also began examining an agricultural orientation bill this week, emphasizing the importance of agriculture as a matter of “major general interest.” The meeting with agricultural representatives at the Élysée aimed to mark the end of the crisis and move towards a collaborative effort to shape the future of agriculture in France.