Valentine Chapuis / AFP
President Emmanuel Macron was at the bedside of the breeders, during a day visit to Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, on July 3, 2025. (Illustration photo)
POLITICS – Bring down more wolves? He is clearly not against. At the bedside of breeders, Emmanuel Macron pleaded, this Thursday, July 3, to prevent the establishment of the wolf there “Where there is pastoralism”even if it means allowing that more canids are killed. A decision welcomed by the first agricultural union La FNSEA, but criticized by the defenders of biodiversity.
“We are not going to let the wolf develop and that it goes in massifs where it is in competition with activities that are ours”added the head of state on the sidelines of a trip to Aveyron. “And so that means that it is necessary, as we modestly say, to take it more”he insisted.
According to a statement by the prefect coordinator on the wolf published in late June, 64 wolves were “Legally destroyed” In 2025, the authorized ceiling being 192, and 11 illegally.
The FNSEA calls for ” move from speech to acts ”
The Head of State notably argued that the presence of the bear, of the wolf “And even vulture” led the breeders to leave their animals ” down “. “And so we have lands that become wasteland, brush and suddenly what’s going on: I bet it, in four years we will have fires”he pressed.
The Head of State “Recognizes the untenable situation of breeders in the face of predation”praised the president of the FNSEA Arnaud Rousseau, who deplored “In mid-2025”and “Number of victims (…) doubled compared to the year 2024, reaching unpublished levels”on the social network X (ex-owner).
“We must move from speech to acts, Mr. President”added Arnaud Rousseau, who notably called to “Raise the decision” recently to restrict “To the only farms that have undergone at least two predations in the last four months”the sending of the Louvetiers, volunteers approved by the State to shoot down the wolves.
“All the people who invent rules and who do not live with animals in places where there is the bears which redesigns or the wolf, whether they go to spend two nights”launched the head of state again, claiming to know “The anxiety that it represents” and castigating the accumulation of rules imposed on breeders.
One Voice describes Emmanuel Macron as “Wolf grave”
The president is based in particular on the recent decision at European level to downgrad the status of the wolf, which has become a species “Protected” and no longer “Strictly protected”. This development had also been denounced by defenders of biodiversity.
“And so there, as it is no longer a very protected species, it should not be expected that it has settled, that you have made all the investments, to be able to take”that is to say, breaking up, animals.
The presidential position has made the association for the defense of animals one voice jump, which qualified the head of state as “Greaseness of wolves and all wild animals to better flatter the lobbies of livestock and hunting”.
A law envisaged
At the end of June, the government had already made a decree allowing cattle and equine breeders to operate defense shots against wolves to protect their herd even when it was not already attacked.
The Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard had notably indicated on May 28 before the Senate that on May 12, “These are already 759 attacks and 2,617 predated animals”causing “Considerable damage”.
This time, Emmanuel Macron judged “Likely that a law is necessary” To achieve his ends, turning to the parliamentarians present during his visit to Roquefort-sur-Soulzon who, according to him, “Will have allies in many departments”.
“Excluding wolves from breeding areas is not realistic and is not a scientific basis. Wolves live in large territories that it is impossible to divide ”argued with AFP Cédric Marteau, of the Association de Défense of the Environment LPO. “The challenge is to continue the work undertaken with the breeders and to strengthen the measures to limit interactions with the herds”he hammered.
In recent months, the attacks have multiplied, affecting pastoral areas, but also areas of farms dispersed in fields in low altitude, pushing the breeders to claim a softening of the defense fire.
