Wiadomość została wysłana.
The demonstration came on the day that Poland holds a gala to mark the start of its turn at the rotating EU presidency.
In addition to opposing the Mercosur agreement, farmers – some waving red-and-white Polish flags – gathered in front of the European Commission representation office in the Polish capital on Friday afternoon to protest against the EU’s Green Deal and grain imports from Ukraine.
They brandished banners including some saying: “Down with the Green Deal, a criminal deal for Poland".
Poland assumed the six-month EU presidency on January 1 and is set to host a grand concert at Warsaw’s National Opera to mark the occasion on Friday night.
In a press release published by Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture, representatives of the protesting farmers were cited as saying: “Our demands are not directed at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, but at the decisions made by [European Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen.”
The demonstration follows nationwide protests in December, when the EU finalized a trade deal with Mercosur – a South American trading bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay and a handful of associate countries.
The agreement, which was reached after more than two decades of negotiations, has faced strong pushback from EU farmers, as well as Poland and France.
Polish farmers argue that the deal will inundate the European market with cheap and harmful agricultural products from South America.
Polish Agriculture Minister Czesław Siekierski said in a statement: “We are still trying, with France and other countries, to build a minority to block this deal. This will be very difficult to achieve, however, without the proper involvement of [EU] member states.”
Siekierski added that imports of cheap Ukrainian grain have already largely been stopped after EU customs agreements were reached in June – a key demand made by Polish farmers in widespread protests in early 2024.
Warsaw hopes to use its six months at the helm of the EU to promote strengthened European security, including in areas such as food and energy.
