Farmers have blocked a highway between France and Baden-Württemberg with around 400 tractors. Despite calls from French agricultural unions to end the blockades following promises of aid from the government in Paris, farmers from Alsace and Baden began blocking the Neuchâtel motorway triangle.
The A36, which connects the A5 on the German side of the Rhine and the A35 on the left bank of the Rhine in France, was blocked near the French border town of Ottmarsheim. As the newspaper “Les Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace” reported, there were kilometer-long traffic jams. Traffic was rerouted along county roads.
The protest, which was called for by the two largest French agricultural unions and an Alsatian winegrowers’ association, was actually supposed to last until Friday afternoon. It was initially unclear whether the action would be stopped early following the unions’ call.
France’s farmers have been demonstrating for days, mainly with motorway blockades, against falling income, environmental regulations from Brussels and, in their opinion, too many requirements. The government promised them comprehensive help. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal promised further support on Thursday, including aid worth 150 million euros for livestock farmers.
