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VIDEO: Gallons of Spanish wine destroyed in French import protest
French unions want to “stop Spanish imports” they say are threatening the livelihood of local farmers
History is repeating itself on the border between France and Spain, with shocking images of French farmers attacking Spanish freight trucks loaded with fruit, vegetables and alcohol. The scenes are reminiscent of protests in the 1980s against Spain joining the EU, for fear it would gobble up the common agricultural policy (CAP) funds coveted by France. Today, farmers are demanding an end to imports of Spanish wine, which they claim are contributing to the crisis in the sector.
On Wednesday October 18, around 500 winegrowers blocked one of the motorways connecting France and Spain through Girona and set upon the Spanish trucks transporting tomatoes, wine and cava. Thousands of euros worth of valuable produce was dumped onto the tarmac as the drivers watched on, helpless.
Piquetes en Francia asaltan camiones para destruir el vino español.
— MAYORCETE (@mayorcete) October 19, 2023
Los putos franceses se aliaron con los otomanos para joder a los españoles y piratear el Mediterráneo, nos traicionaron durante las Guerras Napoleónicas, y ahora esto.
Desde Poitiers no han hecho nada bueno. pic.twitter.com/LhL1bLhBnO
The Ministries of Agriculture and the Interior contacted the French authorities first thing Thursday morning, demanding that they put a stop to the “attacks” on the freedom of movement of goods within the EU.
Talks are continuing between both nations at the Spanish embassy in Paris but tensions remain high.
For its part, the Spanish Confederation of Freight Transport (CETM) has asked the Spanish and French authorities to take all necessary steps to ensure that these acts cease and those responsible "stop acting with total impunity”.
“It’s not the first time that road freight transport companies and self-employed workers suffer this type of assault in a completely unjustified manner, which endangers the safety of professional drivers and, in addition, represents important losses for the sector,” a spokesperson added.Winegrowers in France are struggling due to poor harvests, inflation and increased production costs and unions say that bulk wine imports from Spain have created an “explosive cocktail” in the sector.
Unless the support measures from Emmanuel Macron’s government are stepped up, the unions insist that protests against Spanish truckers will continue.
Images: @mayorcete
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