French farmer protests intensify: motorways blocked, trains disrupted

Protest action by farmers continues to escalate in France, with motorways and train lines blocked today (December 17). 

Motorways including the A63, A64, A10, A89, A61 and A20 are all facing blockades and disruption, with several departmental and national roads in Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine also impacted.

The A61 is blocked in both directions at Carcassonne.

State rail operator SNCF is also warning of delays to trains in the south, particularly around Toulouse and the Occitanie region and between Bordeaux - Marseille.

Rail disruption is expected, says the SNCF, with passengers advised to check journeys in advance.

Action by farming unions was initially sparked by orders to cull cattle suffering from lumpy skin disease, however this has expanded highlighting wider discontent in the sector. 

Current action has placed agricultural opposition to the ‘Mercosur’ free trade agreement between the EU and South American countries at the centre of protests. Farmers want the proposed deal to be rejected or heavily modified.

Set to be voted on at the end of the week – although France and Italy have requested a delay to the vote until 2026 – leading farming unions in France say the current protests will intensify if the EU formally adopts the agreement.

FNSEA is already calling for a demonstration on Thursday, with farmers planning to drive tractors to Brussels.

‘We will protest until Christmas if we need to’ 

Protests looked set to die down in recent days, as the government promised to increase vaccination of cattle to curb the current outbreak of lumpy skin disease.

However the focus now on the Mercosur trade deal is seeing protests with unions supporting action.

“We will stay [blockading roads] until Christmas if necessary,” said one group of farmers to media outlet ICI France. 

“We will call on our networks to mobilise,” if the Mercosur deal is signed, said FNSEA (France’s major farming union) president Arnaud Rousseau to France Inter this morning. 

Farmers say that the free trade agreement would flood the EU with cheap South American goods that do not face the same level of regulation as European counterparts. 

Crops, meat, and ingredients containing pesticides banned in the EU or farmed on destroyed rainforest could be imported under the deal, and at prices lower than European farmers can afford to grow them. 

“We cannot import agricultural products into Europe that do not meet the standards imposed on us.”

“If we want to maintain productive capacity in Europe, and particularly in France, we need reciprocity and controls,” Mr Rousseau added. 

How long will protests last?

Current action is likely to continue in the south-west – blocking roads and protesting outside mairies – until the end of the week but may increase if EU member states formally approve the Mercosur trade deal.

A successful vote may lead to more blockades, or see tractor convoys descend upon Paris as has been the case in recent major demonstrations.

If the Mercosur vote is delayed or does not pass, protests are likely to be quelled, at least for the rest of the year.

French President Emmanuel Macron will be 'very firm' about French demands at the vote, said government spokesperson Maud Bregeon.

The president believes there is "insufficient clarity on the three conditions demanded" by France: "mirror measures, a safeguard clause, and controls," she added.

Mr Rousseau said the major Paris agricultural fair, scheduled for February 2026, would be a site of major demonstration if the Mercosur agreement moves forward. 

“I doubt it will go well…if there is no response to the crisis,” he said.

Drivers in the south-west can read our article on how to check if roads near them are blocked. Apps and websites such as SNCFConnect can be used to check rail journeys in advance of travel.