Polish farmers’ protests crank up pressure on EU agriculture head Janusz Wojciechowski
- Polish farmers are blocking roads, angry about the impact of cheap food imports from neighbouring Ukraine and what they say is the ‘passivity’ of their government
- Farmers elsewhere, including France and Germany, have also been protesting against constraints caused by EU measures to tackle climate change and rising costs
Polish politicians called on the EU Commissioner for Agriculture to quit on Friday as farmers blocked roads across his home country Poland and at border crossings with Ukraine, kicking off a month-long general strike to protest against EU policies.
Farmers in France, Belgium, Portugal, Greece, Spain and Germany have also been protesting against constraints placed on them by EU measures to tackle climate change, as well as rising costs and what they say is unfair competition from abroad.
Polish farmers are angry about the impact of cheap food imports from neighbouring Ukraine and what they say is the “passivity” of their government. EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski came under fire from all sides.
“There is a man in Europe who united all European and Polish farmers against the reform he proposed. This is Janusz Wojciechowski. Resign!” said Deputy Prime Minister Wladysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
Wojciechowski was also criticised by the leader of the former ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party that proposed him for the position. Jarosław Kaczynski said he would call the commissioner to ask him to quit.
About 100 farmers and 50 cars blocked the approach to the Medyka border crossing, blocking traffic for all vehicles, Ukrainian border service spokesman Andriy Demchenko said on television.