how the government wants to “relax everyone” a few days before the Agricultural Show

Five days before this always politically significant meeting, the “Relieve the pressure” operation has been launched by the government, with new announcements planned for Wednesday.

While Emmanuel Macron will open the Agricultural Show on Saturday February 24, two weeks after Gabriel Attal’s announcements, the Head of State continues to receive agricultural unions. He speaks on Tuesday, February 20, with the FNSEA and the Young Farmers. The whole challenge is to show that the promises made are starting to come true.

“Relieve the pressure“, this is what the executive will be working on all week with this interview, certainly classic ahead of the Agricultural Show between Emmanuel Macron and the unions. And with new announcements to come too. But be careful : there will not be more money, but new measures. They will be detailed on Wednesday by Gabriel Attal and Minister Marc Fesneau.

“Getting yelled at is part of the deal”

Among the areas covered: the presentation of the draft law on agriculture – a project postponed and which will be expanded -, details on the Ecophyto plan with a new indicator, as well as new simplification measures, while the prefects have done, in recent days, more than 2,000 lifts from the ground.

The government is, once again, obliged to repeat that it has already acted, while on the ground demonstrations are still taking place in several regions. A trip by Emmanuel Macron on agricultural subjects is also mentioned just before the start of the Agricultural Show. “The objective, explains an advisor, “it’s so that the unions can tell their base that they have obtained new advances to relax everyone.” Because the Agricultural Show risks being agitated, even if within the executive, we minimize: “Getting yelled at is part of the deal”judges an advisor.

Favor more direct exchanges with farmers

If Emmanuel Macron is used to heated exchanges during his extensive visits to farmers, this year, context obliges, the hypothesis of a slightly different visit was born: a route among the stands a little shortened, to favor more exchanges directly with farmers, for example in a “big debate” type format.

As for Gabriel Attal, the time of his arrival is still being decided while the boss of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella will go there on Sunday. “One thing is certain: we cannot leave the field open to the RN for too long”, warns one of his relatives, even if it means playing a duel with the RN. This is also one of the challenges of this show, less than four months before the European elections.