'Europe is running France, and Macron isn't defending us!' - Dairy farmers rally in Paris amid Mercosur backlash

'Europe is running France, and Macron isn't defending us!' - Dairy farmers rally in Paris amid Mercosur backlash

"French farmers protested outside Lidl headquarters in Chatenay-Malabry southwestern suburb of Paris on Thursday, over a sharp drop in dairy purchase contracts and imports from Eastern Europe, which they say is creating unfair market competition. Footage shows protesters pouring milk near Lidl headquarters entrance, as well as spilling milk at supermarket window while banging saucepan lids and ringing cowbells. "We've observed that for a year and a half, direct contracts with producers have been dropping sharply in volume," Association of Milk Producers (APLI) spokesperson and one of the organisers of the protest, Adrien Lefevre, said. Lefevre added French products were being promoted less, while imports from Eastern Europe - including eggs from Poland, dairy products from Denmark and Germany, and lamb from New Zealand - were creating unfair market competition. "Free trade agreements in general. It's not just Mercosur. For me, in the dairy sector, it's the agreement signed in 2023 with New Zealand that hurts us the most," he said. Another dairy farmer, Cyril, claimed the French agriculture is being 'sacrificed at the expense of Europe'. "Today Europe is running France, and today Macron isn't defending us. He doesn't want to defend French agriculture. We are the finest agricultural country in the world, with the best gastronomy, and today we are not being defended at all by our president," he said. Farmers in the French capital have been protesting against government policies, particularly the EU-Mercosur deal, which they say is creating unfair competition and wiping French products off supermarket shelves. While French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly opposed the deal, it is still expected to be signed in Paraguay on Saturday, with backing from a majority of EU countries. The agreement will not take immediate effect. It must still be approved by the European Parliament and ratified by Mercosur member states, a process expected to take several months. Negotiated over 25 years, the deal would phase out most tariffs over 15 years, creating a free-trade area encompassing approximately 780 million people."

Trump meeting with Machado 'right now'... but he also 'likes what he's seeing' from Rodriguez - White House spox

Trump meeting with Machado 'right now'... but he also 'likes what he's seeing' from Rodriguez - White House spox

"White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Donald Trump was meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado 'right now' - but also said the president 'likes what he's seeing' from interim leader Delcy Rodriguez during her briefing from DC on Thursday. "My understanding is that it's underway right now. I know the President was looking forward to this meeting, and he was expecting it to be a good and positive discussion with Miss Machado," she said. "As for Miss Rodriguez, the president did speak with her directly this week, as you know," she continued. "They have been extremely cooperative. They have thus far met all of the demands and requests of the United States and of the President. And I think you have all seen that play out." "We obviously had a $500 million energy deal that was struck in large part because of the cooperation from Ms. Rodriguez… So the President likes what he's seeing and will expect that cooperation to continue," she added. Following his strikes on Venezuela, Trump insisted that Machado, who beat him to the Nobel Peace prize, "doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country" to become leader. US forces launched strikes on Venezuela and seized President Nicolas Maduro and his wife earlier this month. Trump vowed that he will 'run' Venezuela, while Rodriguez has insisted her administration is in control. "