Polish farmers take to the streets in protest ahead of EU presidency Gala

euronews (in English)

On the eve of the inauguration gala for the Polish Presidency of the EU, Polish farmers descended on the capital Warsaw to protest against European policies affecting the farming sector.

Transcript

00:00As Poland is entering its first days of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union,

00:04farmers have taken to the streets of Warsaw in protest.

00:07Held on the same day as the opening gala of the Polish Presidency,

00:10Last year we protested, this year we continue to protest because nothing has been done.

00:17the protesters marched under the slogan, Five Times Stop, referring to the Mercator trade deal,

00:22the European Green Deal, the import of agricultural products from Ukraine,

00:26the destruction of the Polish forestry and fishing sectors, and problems in the Polish economy.

00:30A sweet problem that concerns sugar.

00:33It is being promoted for 1.5 PLN less than the production costs.

00:37So how can you sell something for less than the production costs,

00:40if someone really has to pay for it?

00:43So the planters, that is, us, are being harassed.

00:46It is one of many protests held in Poland and across Europe since December 2023,

00:50blocking roads and highways and picketing in front of government buildings.

00:53The European Union produces the best food in the world,

00:58while we open our market and invite food from Latin America.

01:02It's not just about cutting down tropical forests, destroying the Amazon,

01:06we are opening up.

01:07There are substances that are toxic to us, that come in food.

01:12I came here more than 400 kilometers to protest.

01:16By signing a deal with Mercosur,

01:18we exchanged German cars for cheaper food from South America.

01:23Today's protests ended in front of the National Theater,

01:26where the opening gala of the Polish presidency will be held.

01:33French protests show that protests make sense.

01:37We must protest, especially today, when the whole of Bialystok comes.

01:40We know that the President was scared and did not come.

01:44She was supposed to be here and she was scared of Polish farmers,

01:47she was scared of this protest.

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