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French farmers re-start protests and roadblocks

French farmers on Wednesday began to enact demos and roadblocks, threatening to re-start the 'agriculteurs en colère' protests which last month saw roadblocks across France.

Published: 20 February 2024 16:17 CET
Updated: 21 February 2024 08:47 CET
French farmers re-start protests and roadblocks
Farmers at a protest in Guingamp, western France, on February 20, 2024. Photo by FRED TANNEAU / AFP

On Wednesday France was once again the scene of farmer protests, albeit on a small scale so far, including a roadblock on an autoroute in the south west and blockades at supermarkets and factories.

Starting as a small protest over French and EU farming regulations, January’s demos turned into one of the biggest farmer protests in recent decades with roadblocks bringing traffic to a halt all over France while farmers threatened to ‘besiege’ Paris and cut off its food supplies.

In the end, most of the farmers were persuaded to abandon the roadblocks on the autoroutes and go home after prime minister Gabriel Attal unveiled a massive package of financial aid, as well as promises to loosen some of the regulations that farmers say are drowning them in paperwork.

While the two biggest farming unions – the FNSEA and Jeune agriculteurs – agreed to halt the roadblocks, they did add a condition; the government should give them concrete assurances by the start of the biggest event in the farming calendar, the Salon de l’Agriculture in Paris.

With the Salon set to start on Saturday, February 24th, union leaders on Tuesday said they are ready to re-start the protests. Attal, hoping to head off further protests at the pass, is giving a press conference on farming on Wednesday morning.

READ ALSO Why France’s biggest farm show is taking on new significance in 2024

The FNSEA and JA leaders met president Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday evening, but ahead of the meeting the JA leaders announced some preemptive measures. 

Demonstrations have been announced in Pas-de-Calais, Gers, Tarn-et-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrénées for Wednesday.

The A62 between Toulouse and Bayonne was blocked on Tuesday, with farmers saying the blockades will continue on Wednesday.

Farmers in Pas-de-Calais say they plan to ‘inspect’ supermarkets in the area to check that products advertised as made in France are correctly labelled and to advise customers on the impact that foreign-imports of food are having on the French farming industry. 

Meanwhile farmers in the south-west say they intend to continue to blockade a Danone factory in Villecomtal-sur-Arros.

On Tuesday some rolling roadblocks took place in the Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées and Tarn-et-Garonne départements while a supermarket in Negrepelisse (Tarn-et-Garonne) was blockaded.

There have also been revived protests in the city of Marseille. 

“The time of political decisions has come,” said Arnaud Rousseau, head of the biggest farmers’ union FNSEA, late Tuesday. “Expectations are running high.”

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal was on Wednesday setting out details on the “main measures” included in a forthcoming agriculture law, which is to include a passage on French “food sovereignty”, officials said.

He was also to give an update on government promises made at the start of the month.

If the unions do not like what they hear on Wednesday, protests could be stepped up – some farmers are already planning a protest in Paris on Friday evening, the day before the Salon de l’Agriculture opens.

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LIVING IN FRANCE

Why you might get a letter about French benefits

France is introducing stricter residency requirements for certain benefits, including those that foreigners in France can qualify for, and has begun sending letters out to recipients.

Published: 30 April 2024 14:07 CEST
Why you might get a letter about French benefits

In April, the French government passed a decree that will tighten up residency requirements for different types of benefits, including the old-age top-up benefit.

Previously, the rule for most benefits was residency in France for at least six months of the previous year to qualify, though some required eight months and others, like the RSA (a top-up for people with little to no income) requires nine months’ residency per year.

However, the government announced in 2023 its intention to increase the period to nine months for several different programmes – which was put into decree in April – in an effort to combat social security fraud, as well as to standardise the system.

The changes, which will go into effect at the start of 2025, do not affect access to healthcare – foreigners can still access French public healthcare as long as they have been resident here for a minimum of three months. 

Similarly, the rules for accessing chômage (unemployment benefits) have not changed yet. Currently, you must have worked for at least six months out of the last 24 months to be eligible, as well as meeting other criteria including how you left your previous job.

This may change in the future, however, with the French government poised to reform the unemployment system again.

READ MORE: How France plans cuts to its generous unemployment system

Which benefits are affected?

The old-age benefit – or the ASPA – will apply the new nine month requirement. Previously, people needed to be in France for at least six months out of the year to qualify.

If you receive this benefit already, you will probably get a letter in the mail in the near future informing you of the change – this is a form letter and does not necessarily mean that your benefits will change.

If you are already a recipient – and you live in France for at least nine months out of the year – then you do not need to worry about your access to the ASPA changing.

If you want to access this benefit, it is available to certain foreigners, even though it is intended to help elderly (over 65) French citizens with low state pensions.

It is only available to foreigners who have been living legally in France for at least 10 years, and starting in 2025 you will need to spend nine out of 12 months a year in France. You can find more information at THIS French government website.

Otherwise, prestations familiales, or family benefits will be affected by the new nine month residency rule. These are available to foreigners with valid residency cards, as long as their children also live in France.

This includes the family allowance (given out by CAF), which is available for families on low incomes with more than two children, as well as the ‘Prime à la Naissance’, which is a means-tested one-off allowance paid in the seventh month of pregnancy to effectively help with the start-up costs of becoming a parent, will also be affected by the new nine month residency rule. 

READ MORE: France’s family benefit system explained

If you receive these benefits already, then you will likely receive a letter explaining the changes shortly.

And finally – the RSA, which is the top-up benefit for people with little to no income, was already held to the nine month standard, so there will be no residency-related changes.

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