France Braces for Farmer Protests as PM Rushes New Talks

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu meets with French farmers' unions on Monday and Tuesday. The goal is to prevent a third consecutive winter of major protests. New demonstrations have begun after a pause during the holiday season. Farmers are resuming roadblocks and other actions to demand lower costs and simpler regulations. Lecornu has promised new government measures and a return to "common sense" rules. The talks aim to address the farmers' key grievances before the protests escalate further. The outcome will test the government's ability to calm a powerful sector that has previously brought parts of the country to a standstill.