Farmers rebel against EU rules amid far-right influence

In the northern Netherlands, inside a barn stretching across the flat fields, Jos Ubels gently holds a newborn Blonde d’Aquitaine calf, a new member of his large dairy cattle herd. However, Ubels is concerned about the future of farming like his.

Europe’s efforts to combat climate change are imposing more regulations on farmers, affecting Ubels who now dedicates one day a week to managing bureaucracy. These regulations dictate agricultural practices such as planting, harvesting, and the use of fertilizers or manure. At the same time, Ubels points out that cheaper imports are driving down the prices of local produce, yet these imports aren’t held to the same environmental or safety standards.

This growing frustration among farmers is leading some, like Ubels, to align with more radical political groups. Ubels is a key figure in the Farmers Defense Force (FDF), a group that emerged prominently in 2019 and has extended its influence to Belgium and connects with similar movements across the European Union (EU). With the EU parliamentary elections approaching in June, the FDF and its counterparts aim to rally significant support to influence the outcomes, planning a major demonstration in Brussels on June 4.

Ubels expresses a critical view of traditional politics, differentiating his loss of faith in political mechanisms from his belief in democracy. The FDF’s stance reflects a deeper disillusionment with the rule of law, as stated on their website.

This sentiment has translated into significant action; for instance, in March, Belgian farmers protested vigorously outside the EU headquarters in Brussels. Their demonstration escalated to setting fires and confrontations with the police. Similar protests have seen farmers across the EU blockade major transport routes, reflecting one of the most intense agricultural demonstrations in decades.

The relationship between farmers and the EU has always been complex, but recent political shifts are steering more farmers toward extreme right groups. These groups exploit farmers’ discontent, promising to resist the EU’s stringent agricultural and environmental policies without offering concrete solutions to the underlying issues of climate change and economic inequality.

As the political landscape shifts, these farming protests are becoming a pivotal factor in the broader context of EU politics, potentially reshaping policies and power dynamics within the Parliament. The far right’s growing influence among farmers is a sign of changing times, where deep-seated frustrations find their expression in more radical political engagement.