The president met solely with exhibitors and a few select farmer representatives, with the boos of disgruntled protesters kept at a distance audible in the background.
Things went very differently for Attal, who has become France’s best-liked politician since becoming its youngest-ever prime minister last month, according to a recent poll. Despite a few catcalls — with some visitors yelling “Frexit” and “Marine [Le Pen] for president” — Attal strolled freely from booth to booth as passersby gathered to catch a glimpse.
The prime minister sipped cow milk with a local producer, enjoyed a glass of rosé with a winemaker, and shared rum with representatives from overseas French territories.
Still, the ongoing unrest in French agriculture wasn’t invisible during Attal’s visit. Talking to unionists, the PM stressed the actions his government has taken — restating its resolve to limit the impact of Ukrainian imports on local farmers, and insisting Paris was leading the fight against a trade deal between the EU and the Mercosur bloc of South American countries.
“I’m aware that there’s still a lot to be done,” Attal said, “but we’ve moved along faster over these past few weeks than ever before. This crisis can be an opportunity to clarify and move forward on a number of issues.”
