Spanish farmers march on Madrid in opposition to rural policies

rural policies

Credit: Alma Rural twitter

Thousands of Spanish farmers, cattle breeders, hunters and opposition supporters took to the street of Madrid this Sunday, 23 January, to protest their opposition to rural policies put in place by the government. The demonstrators say the environmental and economic policies are harming rural communities across the country.
Sunday’s protest was organized by Alma Rural 2021, a platform representing over 500 rural organizations from all corners of Spain. Members of opposition parties, ranging from centrists to far-right supporters, also attended to speak their mind against Spain’s left of centre government. The timing of the demo is important as early elections are coming up in Castilla-Leon, just northeast of Madrid. There, proposals against depopulation and agricultural policies are taking centre stage in the discussions happening before the ballot.
Carlos Bueno, head of Alma Rural 2021, said the protest aimed to highlight rural concerns amid what he called “ideological” attacks from the government. Concerns ranged from regulating prices for agricultural products to protections for those who breed cattle for bullfights and more subsidies for rural industries as part of the rural policies, as reported by AP.
The route started from the Ecology Transition Ministry, formerly the Environment Ministry, to the Agriculture Ministry. Spain’s Ecological Transition Ministry said the country’s budget for 2022 includes 4.2 billion euros ($4.7 billion) to fight the depopulation of rural areas. Spain’s rural world “doesn’t need populist slogans but political involvement and resource to solve historical problems,” it said in a statement.
The rural policies have been contested for the last month against a backdrop of another argument caused by a minister. Consumer Minister Alberto Garzón, a member of the far-left junior partner of the Socialist-led administration, criticized big cattle operations for damaging the environment and producing poor quality food for export. His remarks caused a storm and divisions within the coalition and sparked calls for his resignation from far-right opposition parties.


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Written by

Claire Gordon

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