By glorifying the land and peasantry, and exploiting a feeling of having been left behind, the far right has been able to establish itself in rural areas. But its language should not obscure the root causes of farmers' anger and the devastation of the countryside.
Since 2017, the president has sought to limit the access of journalists and now wishes to meet the French public away from the press. The practice is unthinkable in other major democracies.
The “technocratic” EU does not “respect” farmers, the leader of one of France’s biggest farming unions said, as Brussels was swarmed by tractor convoys on Thursday.
France’s two main farming unions on Thursday called for blockades besieging Paris and other cities to be suspended after the government announced a clampdown on food imports.