On December 25, 2025, French farmers persisted with road and highway blockades in southwestern France, maintaining disruptions that began over two weeks earlier despite government appeals for a holiday truce. Protesters continued to occupy key routes, including sections of the A63 highway south of Bordeaux and multiple points along the A64 between Toulouse and Bayonne, as well as areas in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department. Local reports indicated ongoing actions, with farmers in Pyrénées-Atlantiques organizing a tractor parade on Christmas Day itself. In southern Toulouse, protesters marked the holiday defiantly, with over 300 people attending a Christmas mass held at a protest site amid the blockades.
These actions stem from deep-seated anger over the French government's mandatory culling policy for cattle herds affected by lumpy skin disease (LSD), also known as nodular dermatitis—a highly contagious viral infection transmitted by insects that causes skin lesions, fever, and reduced milk production in cattle but poses no risk to humans. The policy requires the euthanasia of entire herds upon detection of even a single case, a measure authorities defend as essential to prevent widespread outbreaks. By mid-December, over 100 outbreaks had been confirmed nationwide, leading to the culling of thousands of animals. Farmers argue the approach is excessive, destroying livelihoods unnecessarily when vaccination and selective culling could suffice.
Compounding the unrest is opposition to the European Union's pending free-trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay). Farmers fear the deal would flood European markets with cheaper South American beef and agricultural products produced under less stringent environmental and labor standards, undercutting local producers. Although the EU postponed signing the agreement until January 2026 due to protests and opposition from France and Italy, demonstrators remain skeptical, viewing the delay as insufficient without stronger safeguards.
The protests, initiated in early December, initially focused on LSD containment measures in southwestern regions like Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Blockades quickly spread, involving tractors, hay bales, and manure dumps outside government buildings. By December 19, around 80 partial or total blockades were reported, particularly in the south. Farmers also disrupted rail lines and demonstrated in Brussels alongside European counterparts during an EU summit. Symbolic actions included placing a coffin labeled "RIP Agri" and "NO Mercosur" outside President Emmanuel Macron's residence and throwing potatoes at public buildings.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu met with leaders of major farming unions—FNSEA, Jeunes Agriculteurs, Coordination Rurale, and Confédération Paysanne—on December 19, announcing an €11 million support fund and proposing further talks in early January (around January 8-10). He urged a Christmas truce to avoid holiday disruptions, warning against new blockades. While some unions expressed openness to pausing actions for the holidays, others, including hardline groups leading the southwestern blockades, rejected the call, insisting on concessions like ending systematic culling and abandoning Mercosur.
As of late December, major arteries like the A64 (closed over 180 km stretches) and A63 near Cestas remained affected, snarling Christmas travel toward the Pyrénées, Atlantic coast, and Spain. Travelers faced lengthy detours on secondary roads, with some reporting overnight delays. Protesters at sites near Toulouse and Carbonne decorated with Christmas trees, signaling intent to stay through the holidays. "We're ready to celebrate here," one breeder told reporters earlier in the month, a sentiment echoed in ongoing actions.
The LSD outbreak, first detected in France in June 2025, prompted accelerated vaccination of over 750,000 additional cattle, with military veterinarians assisting. Authorities claim the disease is under control, with only 0.02% of the national herd affected by mid-December. However, farmers decry the "brutal" application of culls, clashing with police in incidents involving tear gas. Broader grievances include EU regulatory burdens, falling incomes, and perceived unfair competition.
President Macron met union leaders on December 23, acknowledging "extreme tension" in the agricultural sector and reaffirming opposition to Mercosur without protections. The deal, negotiated for over 25 years, aims to boost EU exports of machinery and wines but has faced fierce rural backlash across Europe.
As France enters the post-Christmas period, the standoff persists. Unions await concrete government responses in January, while blockades—though reduced in intensity—continue to disrupt southwestern traffic. The crisis highlights ongoing rural discontent, blending animal health policy with trade globalization fears.
