Anticipation builds as agricultural unions await election results, with outcomes expected this Thursday. This six-year electoral process is crucial for shaping power dynamics and determining the allocation of 14 million euros in public funds. Voter turnout remains uncertain, following low participation in 2019. All unions reported irregularities ahead of the election, and the FNSEA plans a press conference for preliminary results. Key issues include farmer discontent with trade agreements and calls for greater recognition of their contributions.
The Anticipation Surrounding Agricultural Union Elections
“It is at the end of the fair that we count the dung,” is a rural proverb that resonates with the current atmosphere as agricultural unions await election results. The suspense will dissolve this Thursday, with initial outcomes from the crucial elections to the chambers of agriculture expected to be released by day’s end.
This electoral process, conducted every six years, is pivotal as it establishes the new power dynamics between unions and determines how the 14 million euros in public funds will be allocated to support these professional organizations.
The Stakes and Potential Outcomes
The significance of this election is heightened following a demanding campaign and nearly a year of farmer mobilization. Observers are keen to see if the dominant alliance of FNSEA and Young Farmers (JA) will face a challenge from rival unions, namely the Rural Coordination (CR) and the Peasant Confederation, which rank as the second and third largest agricultural unions, respectively.
A major uncertainty surrounding the election is the voter turnout rate; in the previous election of 2019, less than half of the farmers participated. The voting system is designed to favor the leading list, which allowed the FNSEA-JA coalition to capture 55.55% of the vote six years ago, gaining control of 97 out of 101 chambers, while the CR, with only 21.5%, managed to secure just three chambers. The Peasant Confederation, garnering 20% of the vote, currently presides only over Mayotte, where elections have been indefinitely postponed due to Cyclone Chido.
Approximately 2.2 million voters, including around 400,000 farm heads as well as retirees, employees, and landowners, were called upon to cast their votes electronically or by mail between January 15 and 31.
As the prefectures begin counting the votes on Thursday, a delay is in place to ensure that mail-in ballots are accounted for. The Ministry of Agriculture has indicated that it will release consolidated electoral results only after all departmental results are finalized, which is expected no earlier than February 7 or 8.
Without delay, the FNSEA is organizing a press conference on Thursday evening to share preliminary insights from the election, while the Peasant Confederation plans to present its statements on Friday.
In the final days leading up to the election, all unions reported various “malfunctions” and “irregularities,” such as missing electoral kits and absent campaign statements. Each union has documented these issues, which could lead to formal challenges within five days of the results being announced.
Despite the safeguarding of approximately 400 million euros in tax relief in the 2025 budget and ongoing discussions regarding the much-anticipated agricultural orientation law, many farmers continue to express frustration. This discontent stems from issues such as the Mercosur free trade agreement and bureaucratic hurdles, with demands for greater acknowledgment of “those who feed” France.
The CR’s yellow hats, proponents of direct action, are pushing for a vote to replace the FNSEA, which they accuse of “catastrophic co-management with the State.” They aim to gain control of 10 to 15 additional chambers, focusing on regions like Charente, Dordogne, and Gers, while holding onto the three chambers in New Aquitaine.
Confident in its historical roots, the FNSEA acknowledges the campaign’s challenges, attributing some of the intensity to a rise in “populism” and “radicalization” within society. Conversely, the Confederation, which advocates for a genuine agroecological transition and aims to support a third of new farmer installations, hopes to make significant gains in regions such as Ariège and Loire-Atlantique.
The chambers of agriculture play a crucial role as public institutions that provide advisory services to operators on matters such as farm management, installations, and compliance with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), while also representing agricultural interests to government authorities.