In the footsteps of the president. Gabriel Attal was invited to the Agricultural Show on Sunday evening, warning against the “media”, “political” and “militant” circus, the day after a chaotic inauguration by Emmanuel Macron and the leader’s visit on Sunday of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella.
The Prime Minister’s visit was not on his official agenda. But Gabriel Attal honored with his presence the anniversary dinner given in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Salon, Sunday evening in the “La Serre” space in the presence of the main leaders of the sector, after the site closed to the public.
The executive is keen to occupy the ground after the previously unpublished images of a very disrupted opening of the show, against the backdrop of a farmers’ crisis which has lasted for more than a month: clashes between law enforcement and opposing farmers at the arrival of the Head of State, improvised and tense debate between Emmanuel Macron and a few farmers, considerable police presence.
All while Jordan Bardella walked the aisles in a normal atmosphere, contrasting with the images of the day before. But “the French are not fooled by anything. Neither exploitation, nor lies, nor window dressing,” replied Gabriel Attal on Sunday evening.
“The show is neither a media circus, nor a political circus, nor an activist circus” and “farmers, our animals, our sectors are not a campaign setting” as the Europeans approach, insisted the Prime Minister. minister, who then defended his record and attacked the RN.
Attal defends the “agricultural exception”
“Our enemy is not the foreigner, it is the law of the unbridled market.” And “you, who are agricultural professionals, know better than anyone that this agricultural exception should in no case be a closure. Because to give up trade is to condemn our agriculture to collapse,” he declared.
The day before, Emmanuel Macron had been greeted by boos and clashes, but was ultimately able to spend nearly 13 hours in the Salon wandering around and chatting, at the cost of a significant security presence.
During an impromptu two-hour debate with farmers, the president recalled having made 62 commitments and formulated others, including a census of farms requiring emergency cash flow aid. He also reiterated that France would no longer ban pesticides faster than its European neighbors.
Farmers still waiting
The executive seeks to extinguish the agricultural crisis, which had been brewing for months but exploded in January. Since then, Emmanuel Macron and Gabriel Attal have multiplied the announcements, without however succeeding in completely convincing farmers awaiting action.
For his part, Jordan Bardella began a two-day visit to Porte de Versailles on Sunday morning, repeating his desire to promote “economic patriotism” and “change software” for farmers at the European level, notably with the “exit from the agreements free trade”.
As for Emmanuel Macron, “I think he clearly no longer has the sensors of the country of which he is president. And no doubt he does not realize the suffering that his policy causes”, replied the MEP, while the Head of State had mentioned demonstrators present in the aisles “with a political project which is to serve the National Rally”.
Gabriel Attal will return to the Salon on Tuesday where he will walk the aisles all day, with a break for questions to the government at the National Assembly. The main political leaders are expected this week at the Parc des Expositions: La France insoumise, the Socialist Party and Renaissance from Monday, where their representatives will possibly meet the boss of the Republicans Éric Ciotti and the head of the LR list for the European elections, François-Xavier Bellamy.
The LR president of the Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes region Laurent Wauquiez will go there on Wednesday, as will the boss of the communists Fabien Roussel and his head of the list Léon Desfontaines. Édouard Philippe will walk the aisles on Thursday. The leader of the Ecologists Marine Tondelier and the head of the list for the European Marine Toussaint are announced on Friday.