From Poland to Spain, European farmers step up protests

European farmers have intensified their protests against EU measures and soaring prices, with roads blocked in Poland, Hungary, Spain and Belgium.

In western Poland, around 1,400 tractors took part in protests in Poznan, and roads were blocked across the country.

For the fourth day in a row, tractors blocked traffic in several regions of Spain as they tried to enter cities such as Toledo and Zaragoza.

The protests have inspired farmers across the continent.

However, their complaints vary widely.

Farmers in Poland and Hungary complain that the European Union is not doing enough to stop cheap imports from Ukraine from undermining local produce. They are calling on the EU to reinstate the obligation for Ukrainian truck drivers to obtain permits to work across the 27 member states.

in Poland, convoys of tractors, many carrying Polish flags, appeared on 256 roads, blocking traffic and forcing police to arrange detours. One of the blockades brought traffic to a standstill at the Medica border crossing west of the Ukrainian city of Lviv.

Demonstrators in Poznan lit smoke bombs and firecrackers, and drums worth of waste were poured onto the street. Organizers said about 6,000 farmers had gathered in the city.

Many farmers held banners saying no to the EU’s Green Deal, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In Bydgoszcz, the atmosphere became even more heated as tires, piles of straw and even an EU flag were set on fire. A group of protesters tried to force their way into a local authority building, but police used pepper spray to stop them.

The new Minister of Agriculture, Czesław Siekielski, met with protesting farmers in Przyborowice, northwest of Warsaw, and said: “Farmers are protesting because they are in a difficult situation. “My duty is to come here today and talk to the farmers.” .

Earlier this week, the European Commission recommended that net emissions should be cut by 90% by 2040 compared to 2015 levels, but withdrew its Green Deal plan to halve pesticide use across the EU. Farmers complain that cutting back on pesticides will harm crops and put food production at risk.

hundreds of Hungarian On Friday, farmers mounted tractors and rallied at Zakhony, a major border crossing with Ukraine, joining protests across Europe for the first time.

Organizers said they were protesting cheap Ukrainian imports that were hurting the Hungarian market and standing in solidarity with farmers across Europe.

“According to my calculations, the average loss for farmers this year from the wheat they planted last September will be around 300 euros per hectare,” Hungarian agricultural expert Csaba Juhasz told the BBC. . “This takes into account the grants and support we receive.”

He said medium-sized farms of 100 to 400 hectares were the hardest hit.

Hungarian farmers share many concerns with farmers in other countries, including high fertilizer prices and cheap imports of grain, dairy, eggs and meat from Ukraine.

But they have the full support of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who met with protesting farmers at last week’s EU summit and accused Brussels of prioritizing Ukrainian farmers over other European countries. ing.

An estimated 600 farmers headed for the area. Belgian EU ministers were holding an industry summit in Genk.

Dairy farmer Wim Kwanten told Flemish broadcaster VRT that politicians should support them, but instead they are being held “hostage by climate and environmental goals. “We want a level playing field for all farmers.”

in Spainfarmers blocked roads in some areas for four days and traffic was disrupted in big cities such as Bilbao, with 100 tractors filing into the center.

Residents of Pamplona woke up to find dozens of tractors parked in parallel in the city center, while Toledo’s highways were closed to traffic and hundreds of tractors were parked in the historic city. access to the center was cut off.

Farm unions in the Basque Country have expressed dissatisfaction with EU policies, and Minister Luis Planas said he respects the right to demonstrate but called on farmers to avoid intimidation and violence.

in greecefarmers are demanding lower electricity prices, tax exemptions for diesel fuel and subsidies for animal feed, as well as changes to EU environmental rules.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is due to meet with farmer leaders next Tuesday, but the government insists roads must remain open.

A spokesman for the prime minister said he was always open to dialogue, but the right of one group to protest cannot be sacrificed to another group.

farmers Italy They were heading to the Sanremo Music Festival on Friday, where they were scheduled to read a statement on stage.

A tractor parade was scheduled to take place on Rome’s motorway ring road on Friday night, but a large tractor rally in the central Piazza San Giovanni was canceled to avoid disturbing the public.

The iconic four-tractor convoy passed through the Colosseum just before major farming groups met Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has criticized “ideological” EU rules.

Farmers are also angry about income tax cuts that were scrapped as part of this year’s budget. According to Ansa news agency, Meloni said during the meeting that instead of abolishing it, it would be better to aim to support those with the lowest agricultural incomes.

Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida insisted that the government was on the same side as farmers with 9 out of 10 points.