The majority agricultural union, the FNSEA, hopes that with two Ministers of Agriculture the government will go “twice as fast” on all the promises made recently to appease the anger of farmers.
Former Minister of Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher was appointed Minister Delegate for Agriculture on Thursday, alongside existing Minister Marc Fesneau.
No details have yet been provided on the scope of his position.
“At a time when French farmers are waiting for an immediate and profound change in software, in France and in Europe, to restore dignity, fair remuneration and visibility over their future, there is no shortage of work,” underlined the FNSEA in a press release.
“The issues, highlighted over more than three months of mobilization across the entire territory, await concrete and practical responses”, particularly before the Agricultural Show, added the organization, estimating that “this stage, it is clear that the work must accelerate to meet the deadline.
The Rural Coordination, the second agricultural union in France, for its part described as “very appreciated” the appointment of Agnès Pannier-Runacher, who was also Secretary of State for the Economy and Minister Delegate for Industry.
Pannier-Runacher seems “more open” to discussion with other unions
Through these functions, “she has advanced knowledge of the agri-food industry,” said its president, Véronique Le Floc'h, to AFP.
When it comes to carrying out controls on industrialists or cooperatives, “it must know which door to knock on, it will know to whom to give the right orders to the DGCCRF”, the repression of fraud, “as well as to the Ministry of Finances,” she said.
And while Marc Fesneau speaks mainly with the FNSEA, “she seems more open” to discussion with other unions, added Véronique Le Floc'h.
At each reshuffle, the FNSEA recalled that it wanted to maintain a full-fledged ministry, refusing any relegation to the rank of state secretariat in view of the constant decrease in the number of agricultural operators, who now represent only 1 .5% of assets, compared to 7% in 1982.
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In her previous functions, she had already worked with the agricultural world in the preparation of a decree on agrivoltaism, which consists of producing electricity from photovoltaic panels installed on agricultural land.