Farmers’ movement, free trade agreements, abortion in the Constitution… Marie Toussaint’s “8h30 franceinfo”

The EELV MEP and head of the list in the European elections was the guest of “8h30 franceinfo”, Thursday January 25, 2024.

Marie Toussaint, Europe-Ecology-Les Verts MEP and head of the list in the European elections was the guest of “8h30 franceinfo”, Thursday January 25, 2024. Farmers’ movement, meat consumption, future of free trade agreements, registration of abortion in the Constitution… She answered questions from Salhia Brakhlia and Jérôme Chapuis.

Anger of farmers: “We must be non-violent”

“When we call for moderation towards farmers, it is right, and this must also be the case in other areas”, affirms Marie Toussaint. On Wednesday, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, reminded the prefects “the instructions of great moderation expected from the police” under their “authority”.

The outgoing MEP “also calls not to use violence” . “We must be non-violent. Demonstration actions to express one’s opinion must be authorized on French territory, as well as more widely in the world”she says.

“The FNSEA was in co-management of this agricultural model which is crazy”

While the FNSEA, the first agricultural union, has submitted around a hundred demands to the government, Marie Toussaint accuses the unions of “to input” of the angry movement of farmers and “make demands”Who “do not necessarily correspond to what the people who carried out this mobilization want”.

Directly criticizing the president of the FNSEA, Arnaud Rousseau, whom she describes as “businessman who actually makes biofuels”the MEP castigates the union, which has been, according to her, “in co-management, in the co-decision of this agricultural model which is crazy”.

Anger of farmers: Arnaud Rousseau, the president of the FNSEA is “a businessman” who “imports chicken from Latin America”, says MEP Marie Toussaint. pic.twitter.com/AZ8B0XHxCh

— franceinfo (@franceinfo) January 25, 2024

Exiting free trade agreements: “An absolute necessity”

The environmentalist MEP pleads for leaving free trade agreements, while the mobilization of farmers continues. “It’s an absolute necessity”pleads Marie Toussaint, “this is exactly what we hear today on the ground”.

Leaving these agreements would not have the consequence of limiting exports and farmers’ income, according to her. “Free trade means ‘we remove all customs duties’. We can continue to trade quality products. We can continue to trade PDOs [appellations d’origine protégée]we can continue to exchange organic products”she emphasizes.

Eating less meat is not synonymous with “falling income”

Reduce your meat consumption to “save the climate” East “an imperative”indicates Marie Toussaint, while the High Council for the Climate assesses Thursday in its report that the production and consumption of meat represents 22% of the carbon footprint of the French.

However, the MEP assures that a drop in consumption is not synonymous with “fall in income” farmers. “We spend our time importing meat”deplores Marie Toussaint. “If we return to food sovereignty, farmers will do better”she adds.

IVG: “It must be included in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights”

For “guarantee the right” voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion), “it must be included in the charter of fundamental rights of the European Union”, pleads Marie Toussaint. To make this proposal a reality, also supported by Emmanuel Macron, she launched a petition on her campaign website.

Right to abortion: “it must be included in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union”, defends Marie Toussaint, head of the environmentalist list in the European elections. pic.twitter.com/uiSCD7f4EK

— franceinfo (@franceinfo) January 25, 2024

The outgoing MEP also says she “very happy” of the vote of the deputies in favor of the inclusion in the Constitution of the “freedom guaranteed to the woman to have recourse to a” IVG. At this stage, adoption of the text by the senators, without changing a comma, is uncertain. Especially since the President of the High Assembly, Gérard Larcher, does not want the right to abortion to be enshrined in the Constitution. “No, because I do not think that abortion is threatened in our country”he explained on Wednesday on Franceinfo.

Marie Toussaint invites Senator Les Républicains (LR) of Yvelines to “turn up your nose at your Senate and your political family”. “The law is not enough. We see it in Europe. We see that in Poland, in Hungary, in Italy, sometimes even in Spain, the rights of women, the ability of women to access a safe abortion is threatened”she points out. “Of course” that this threat exists in France, she assures.

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Watch the entire 8:30 a.m. franceinfo broadcast on Thursday January 25, 2024: