Farmers protest against the Mercosur treaty in Madrid, and Sánchez encourages them to trust in the government.

MadridWhile Pedro Sánchez was encouraging farmers and ranchers in Congress to trust the Mercosur trade agreement, half a thousand tractors blocked the center of Madrid in protest against that very same free trade agreement. This came two years after the agricultural sector brought the Spanish capital to a standstill due to the water shortage crisis.a malaise that uncovered many other problems—and this Wednesday they returned. Thousands of farmers from across the country demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, called together by the Union of Unions of Farmers and Livestock Breeders and the National Union of Independent Primary Sector Associations.

This time the headache isn't the drought—the demonstrators, in fact, braved London's windy and relentless rainy weather that marked the day—but rather European agricultural policies that, in the sector's view, are "suffocating" farmers and livestock breeders: the trade agreement with Mercosur.

"Among the demands of the march is the requirement that the ministry commit to providing sufficient funds for agricultural aid [...] and that these funds prioritize support for generational renewal in the countryside and local production," stated Unió de Pagesos.

However, during the speeches by the various organizations that called for the protest, some long-standing demands resurfaced, beginning with compliance with the food supply chain law. Farmers continue to complain that the prices paid to them at the source skyrocket by the time their products reach supermarket shelves. They also demand improvements to animal health protocols regarding diseases.

Columbus Square was the meeting point for five columns of farmers who set out early Wednesday morning from various towns near the Spanish capital. Among these towns was Guadalajara, from where 15 Catalan tractors departed, accompanied by 150 farmers who traveled by car or bus. Under the banner of Unió de Pagesos (Farmers' Union), they joined the protest. Once in Columbus Square, they met up with approximately 8,000 farmers and ranchers from across Spain, according to the organizers' estimates—a figure the Spanish government delegation in Madrid puts at 2,500—and some 400 tractors. The demonstration proceeded slowly along the Paseo de Recoletos and the Paseo del Prado, culminating at the doors of the Ministry of Agriculture, just a few meters from the Congress building. "We are aware that many farmers have doubts [about the Mercosur treaty]," Sánchez stated during Wednesday's plenary session in Congress. However, the Spanish president has defended the treaty, stating that it includes "safeguards" to prevent harm to the agricultural sector, and has again described it as "extraordinary."

Representativeness, in dispute

Two years ago, the protest that paralyzed Madrid was supported by more agricultural organizations, a fact that has not gone unnoticed in terms of the impact of Wednesday's demonstration. Nor has it been overlooked in the speeches. Both organizing groups, including Unió de Pagesos, have denounced the lack of direct communication with the Ministry. In fact, they already did so two years ago when they called for strengthened dialogue. Recently, the Ministry has taken steps forward by adding Unión de Uniones to the list of most representative organizations (previously only the main national unions, Asaja, COAG, and UPA, were included), but the complaints persist. "We must have representation in all the autonomous communities [...]. We defend democracy within the agricultural sector and the need for elections to become a reality," declared Raquel Serrat, spokesperson for Unió de Pagesos, during her speech.