With the Duplomb law on agriculture, France “seems to be going backwards”

France is at the top of its game: this week, farmers perched on their €200,000 tractors besieged the National Assembly while taxis blocked traffic across the country. An agricultural law, which flouted some environmental standards, was rejected by the Assembly on Monday. Did the farmers see red? Not at all. Delighted, they went home. This weekend, taxi unions won concessions from the government. Has grumbling given way to joy? No: furious, the taxis are maintaining the blockades.

The agricultural bill, which planned to eliminate certain environmental standards, was about to be blocked by an avalanche of amendments tabled by the left and environmentalists. By rejecting its own legislation in advance, the government, with the support of the far right, knew that it was giving the final say to the Senate, which is more right-wing and keen to please certain farmers.

On Saturday, May 24, taxi unions successfully convinced the government to review new regulations that change when and how much taxis can be paid by the state to transport people to or from a medical appointment. But this concession did not satisfy them, since they wanted a guarantee that their income would not decrease and that new restrictions on ride-hailing platforms, such as Uber, would come into effect. Both protests reveal underlying problems. The taxi protest, for example, shows how easily the French state gets into debt and how difficult it is to reduce its deficit.

Last year, the healthcare system spent €3.07 billion on taxis for its patients, a 45% increase over the past five years. This windfall has become vital for companies located in rural areas, but also for urban drivers who have suffered from competition from Uber and others. Officially, no one can explain this sudden ex