Winegrowers protested against what they viewed as unfair competition in the French border town of Le Boulou, targeting trucks entering from Spain. Approximately 500 French wine merchants from regions near Narbonne and Perpignan participated in the demonstration, which they called “peace in the wine-growing Midi [southern France].”
The protestors blocked motorway tollgates, allowing cars and motorbikes to pass but halting lorries carrying rosé and cava imports. They then emptied thousands of gallons of rosé into the street and smashed 10,000 bottles of sparkling Spanish wine. Even tomatoes from Morocco got dumped into the street.
The winegrowers expressed their grievances, asserting that foreign wines were being sold at unfairly low prices, making it challenging for them to market their products. They claimed that Spanish wine, in particular, had a significant cost advantage due to lower production costs and fewer regulatory restrictions. Antoine, a 79-year-old winegrower based in Ouveillan, told Le Parisien, “Spanish wine is half the price of French wine. A hectoliter [100 liters] of their wine costs €40, but it is €80 here.”
Luis Apolo Staff Reporter
1. Where did the winegrowers protest against what they viewed as unfair competition?
2. What were the protestors targeting in the French border town of Le Boulou, and what action did they take against them?
3. How many French wine merchants participated in the demonstration, and what was the name of the demonstration they organized?
1. What are your thoughts on the winegrowers' protest in Le Boulou? Do you believe their actions were justified? Why or why not?
2. How might economic factors such as production costs and regulatory restrictions contribute to the pricing disparities between French and Spanish wines?
3. What are the potential consequences of selling foreign wines at significantly lower prices on the local wine industry?
4. Do you think the government should intervene in such situations to protect local industries? Why or why not?
Winegrowers protested against what they viewed as unfair competition in the French border town of Le Boulou, targeting trucks entering from Spain. Approximately 500 French wine merchants from regions near Narbonne and Perpignan participated in the demonstration, which they called “peace in the wine-growing Midi [southern France].”
