During Tuesday’s press conference, Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the situation when PiS politicians join agricultural protests a parade of fraudsters. He also invited the farmers themselves to the Warsaw Center for Social Partnership “Dialog” on Saturday for further talks regarding their demands.
– Tomorrow there is a farmers’ protest in Warsaw. Those politicians and trade unionists who supported the PiS government in a very determined manner also got involved in the protest. This is a protest mainly about the uncontrolled, excessive inflow of grain from Ukraine and the Green Deal. Everyone has the right to protest (…) but I would like to say it loudly (…) we are dealing with a parade of fraudsters. I’m talking about those PiS politicians who today are joining agricultural protests in connection with excessive imports of Ukrainian grain. – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during Tuesday’s press conference.
To confirm his words, he recalled several statements by PiS politicians regarding grain imports from Ukraine:
– It is important for our farmers to know that Ukrainian grain poses no threat to them. Its recipients are in North Africa and the Middle East – Jarosław Kaczyński, Gazeta Polska, June 15, 2022.
– Ukraine is a large grain exporter. Providing this grain is in their interest, it is in our interest, because if there is no grain, there will be famine, especially in North Africa and the Bisko East, and a huge new wave of refugees will move to Europe – Jarosław Kaczyński, July 2022.
– There is indeed a lot of corn in the silos, but not grain. Corn is also a grain, but at least not wheat. Rest assured, no one will lose. Everyone will sell their grain at very decent prices, even if you take into account inflation – including Jarosław Kaczyński.
– We exaggerate the importance of grain exported from Ukraine. Today, the problem is the slowdown in exports, not Ukrainian grain – Henryk Kowalczyk, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture in 2023.
– Perhaps there will be some disruptions on the market, but really short-term – Henryk Kowalczyk, July 2022
– I also have quotes from Commissioner Wojciechowski, but I will spare your ears, because it is not about mockery and satisfaction that we were right when we warned then – said the Prime Minister to journalists.
And he added:
– Today, these PiS politicians, including President Kaczyński and former Prime Minister Morawiecki, are trying to convince the protesters that they have always been on their side and that my government is a problem for farmers. It’s exactly the opposite.
Tusk invites farmers to the next meeting
One of the key demands of farmers is to limit the import of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine and to eliminate from the Green Deal all those regulations and rules that threaten Polish agriculture.
– I also want to emphasize and remind that the Green Deal in this form was promoted by PiS. PiS politicians have been boasting for many months that this is actually their project, that it is exactly like the PiS agricultural policy, which President Kaczyński also promoted for many months. Decisions on this matter, both in terms of opening borders to agricultural products from Ukraine and the Green Deal, were made by the government of Mateusz Morawiecki. We are cleaning up now – said the Prime Minister.
He added that the logic of the protests is one thing, but agricultural protests are not the reason why he is confidently looking for a solution that will bring relief to Polish farmers, only because he knows that there are many provisions that harm Polish agriculture, both in the Green Deal and in agreement with Ukraine on trade liberalization.
– I made an appointment with farmers this week to report to them the activities I have undertaken since the previous meeting. I hope they will accept the invitation. On Saturday at At 10 a.m., I will be available at the “Dialog” center, Tusk said.
He added that on Tuesday he would submit a draft resolution to the Sejm calling on the European Commission to impose sanctions on the import of food and agricultural products from Russia and Belarus.
– The fact that there are no sanctions is one of the reasons why food prices in Europe are low (…) it is also one of the large sources of income for these countries (Russia and Belarus – editor’s note) – explained the head government.
He added that he wants the EU to, in a sense, follow in the footsteps of Latvia, which unilaterally introduced sanctions on food from Russia and Belarus, but for this to be effective, the entire European Union must act.
As the Prime Minister said, in the draft resolution, the Sejm is also to propose to the European Council and the European Parliament the introduction of urgent changes to the rules of trade with Ukraine in order to actually “protect sensitive sectors of the agricultural market against excessive imports from Ukraine”.
– We will expect the European Commission to urgently undertake work to return to exclusively applying the rules of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in trade with Ukraine – the head of government also explained.
That is, before the war started by Russia.
The Prime Minister added that these proposals have nothing to do with his opinion on the necessary assistance to Ukraine, but he will also do everything to protect the Polish and European markets from unequal competition, and Polish (and European) consumers from unproven products.
– We will also call on the EU (in this resolution – editorial note) to immediately verify the requirements of the Green Deal. The Green Deal’s excessive, unreasonable and costly requirements for agriculture should be suspended and then corrected. Actions to protect the climate cannot be in brutal conflict with the real needs and possibilities of European farmers, stressed Donald Tusk.
And he added:
– Decisions must support European producers and not harm their interests.
