Tractors thunder at borders while Londoners ready for protests as farmers across Europe fight back against taxes, trade deals, and threats to their livelihood.
From Britain’s inheritance tax battle to Eastern Europe’s Ukrainian import fears and Argentina’s Mercosur complaints, a groundswell of rural resistance grows.
UK Farmers Plan Pancake Day March in London Streets
Farmers across the UK gathered in London on Tuesday for a “Pancake Day Rally” against Labour’s inheritance tax changes. The Metropolitan Police warned demonstrators they could face arrest if they bring tractors to the central London protest.
Conditions under the Public Order Act prevented farmers from bringing their tractors to Whitehall, with only a limited number of vehicles permitted to show the costs of farming equipment.
Olly Harrison, a farmer helping organise the event, said: "We don't need any tractors, this is on foot. We are going to have some kit to show to the MPs to explain the levels of investment."
The protest targeted the government’s planned 20 percent inheritance tax rate on agricultural land and businesses worth over £1 million, set to begin in April 2026. Farmers worry the tax will force land sales and hurt family farms without clear succession plans.
Eastern European Farmers Block Borders Over Trade Deals
While UK farmers take their grievances to Westminster, Czech farmers spearheaded protests across Eastern Europe, blocking border crossings with tractors last Thursday. Farmers from Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia joined the demonstrations.
The protests target both Ukrainian agricultural imports and the potential EU-Mercosur trade agreement. Martin Pýcha, head of the Czech Agrarian Chamber, explained: “The association agreement with Ukraine will increase the volume of cheap, lower-quality grain and oilseeds on the European market.”
Eastern Europeans remain wary after Ukrainian grain flooded their markets in 2022 and early 2023, when Russia’s naval blockade forced exports onto overland routes. Though Black Sea shipping has largely resumed, fears of cheap imports linger.
Ukraine has set up self-imposed export licenses and quotas for staple goods to ease these worries. Still, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania push for tighter quotas on Ukrainian exports.
Mercosur Agreement Draws Sharp Criticism from Argentina
The EU-Mercosur trade deal also came under fire from Argentina’s President Javier Milei, who complained that the South American trade bloc “only enriched Brazilian industrialists” at Argentina’s expense.
Milei threatened to pull out of Mercosur if it blocks his aim to sign a free-trade agreement with the United States under President Donald Trump.
"The only thing Mercosur has achieved since its creation is to enrich major Brazilian industrialists at the cost of impoverishing Argentines," Milei told the Argentine Congress.
Though Mercosur and the EU reached a historic agreement in December to liberalise trade, it faces opposition from European countries, particularly France.
French farmers insist South American producers must meet the same environmental and health standards to prevent unfair competition.
Generational Crisis Puts French Farming at Risk
As protests unfold across borders, France’s agricultural sector grapples with a more fundamental problem – finding the next generation of farmers. With half of France’s 400,000 farmers set to retire by 2030, the industry faces a severe talent shortage.
Every year, 10,000 farms close down due to lack of buyers.
Agriculture student Jazon told Euronews: "At one point I had the idea of setting up as a farmer during my technical training. But it was too demanding, there are too many problems and too much work."
French farmers feel stretched to the breaking point by low prices, heavy regulations, and global competition. One in five farmers lives below the poverty line, working an average of 15 hours more weekly than the general population.
Despite these hurdles, some young people remain undeterred.
Twenty-year-old Lucie, who hopes to take over her father's sheep and cattle farm, acknowledged: "The challenges definitely make you reconsider; that's for sure... But I tell myself that since I'm passionate about it, that's not going to stop me."
As protests crop up across the UK and European borders, these different farming struggles share common roots: concerns about fair competition, affordable food, and the long-term survival of an industry caught between global trade and local traditions.
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