We ask for your understanding regarding Wednesday’s farmers’ protests; their protests are in the interest of all of Poland, in the interest of food security – said Robert Telus, former Minister of Agriculture, PiS MP, in the Sejm.
During Wednesday’s press conference, PiS politicians referred to the farmers’ protests taking place throughout Poland that day.
MP Telus pointed out that farmers are protesting in 500 places in Poland, including: blocking the roads.
Farmers have been protesting for over 30 days, wanting to fight for issues that are important for agriculture, but above all, important for our society, because it is food security. Farmers do not fight only for their own issues, but for our issues, for the issues of all Poles – said Telus.
Telus appealed for understanding to all those who experience traffic disruptions due to the protests
He also appealed for understanding to everyone who is struggling with difficulties today due to the road blockade.
We ask for your understanding, because these protests are in our interest, in the interest of all of Poland, food security – said the politician.
According to Telus, nothing has emerged from the government’s talks with the protesting farmers so far, and there are no specifics.
In Telus’ opinion, Prime Minister Donald Tusk “was diluting the topic.” Moreover, he added, the police are doing everything to prevent these protests.
They stop farmers who go to protests; they check the tractors very carefully so that they do not arrive at these protests. But also before the protests, many farmers had police in their yards, asking who was organizing the protest, where they were going to the protest, and why they were going. This is intimidation, Telus said.
Polish farmers fight for our Polish issues
– Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Polish farmers will not give up. Polish farmers know that they are fighting for our, Polish issues, he added.
Telus also said that PiS supports the farmers’ protests, but they will not go to them so that “again Donald Tusk does not have the argument that it is some kind of political protest.”
This is a substantive protest and a grass-roots protest of the Polish farmer – he assured.
In the opinion of PiS MP Anna Gembicka, “the government may extend the embargo (on products from Ukraine), may close the borders, and the government can and should introduce financial compensation for farmers who now have huge problems with financial liquidity.”
In turn, MP Krzysztof Ciecióra said that the agriculture committee was held on Tuesday, during which no specific bills related to farmers’ demands were passed.
Farmers’ protests have been going on in Poland and other European Union countries for several weeks. They demand, among others: derogating from the provisions of the European Green Deal and sealing the borders against the inflow of agri-food products from outside the EU countries.
The Green Deal introduces many guidelines, including: for agriculture. They are intended to enable Europe to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. These include: for introducing more ecological and less emission-intensive production and reducing the use of fertilizers and plant protection products by half.
