Europe · Friday, 9 October 2026
French farmers rally against EU-Mercosur deal as Macron vows to oppose it
About 2,200 farmers and 625 tractors blocked roads across 39 French departments on Thursday, with hundreds gathering outside the National Assembly, as Coordination Rurale protested the EU-Mercosur trade deal and the government's handling of a lumpy skin disease outbreak in cattle. The pact would open the EU to more Brazilian, Argentine, Paraguayan and Uruguayan beef, poultry and sugar; President Emmanuel Macron said France would oppose it ahead of a decisive European vote, while Brussels says quotas on sensitive products and EU food-safety rules would still apply.