Irish farmers’ message to Sarkozy is clear

THE message from farmers to French President Nicolas Sarkozy as he arrived at Government Buildings in Dublin yesterday was straightforward, “Oui, oui, s’il vous plait”.

More than 1,200 farmers urged the French leader to maintain his strong opposition to the agricultural proposals being negotiated at the world trade talks in Geneva.

They believe only an Irish veto and strong French resistance can stop what they see as a sell-out of European agriculture by trade commissioner Peter Mandelson, the EU’s lead negotiator.