During the talks, no new agreement was reached. The border will remain open, and protesters would not be silenced. Tomasz Obszański from NSZZ RI Solidarność spoke after a meeting between farmers, their representatives, and Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He stressed that the nationwide farmers’ protests would continue, with the next demonstration planned for March 20. Provincial and district towns were to be blocked, and Obszański blamed the Prime Minister for the escalation of tensions in Warsaw.
Obszański noted that the meeting touched on replacing fallow land with legume crops and also discussed compensation, though no specific details were announced yet.
“We’ve talked about compensation, but nothing concrete has been said yet,” said the head of NSZZ RI S.
Observers reported that very little substance came from the discussion. The Prime Minister reportedly spoke of accepting the resignation of civil servants who failed to perform their duties, but there were no progress reports on ongoing work. Overall, chaos and uncertainty were evident, according to Obszański.
One participant summarized the mood: the talks produced no tangible outcomes, and the group left unsatisfied.
– comments attributed to Obszański, reflecting disappointment.
The Associated Press style coverage echoed that farmers could not meet the Prime Minister at the gate because of ongoing protests, with messages suggesting the invitation had been a mistake.
We left with nothing, the farmer added, insisting that the government had not provided any details. The Prime Minister reportedly claimed his hands were tied and that he could do nothing, a stance that frustrated the protesters and left the embargo on Ukrainian products issue unresolved.
The border would not be closed and would remain open, according to the accounts of Obszański, who described the Prime Minister’s statements as lacking clear direction.
The same view was echoed by Andrzej Sobociński, a farmer from Żuławy and a leader in agricultural strikes. He indicated that the government would not close the border and that a larger share of Poland’s grain surplus and domestic funds would be required. He cautioned that calculations were necessary to determine the exact amount and urged the Ministry of Agriculture to take the time needed to assess the situation. The underlying message was that protests would continue until the state offered real support.
As tensions persisted, Sobociński predicted stronger demonstrations on March 20, including road and town blockades. He argued that farmers faced a severe problem with limited state backing, and criticized the narrative that the protests were solely the fault of protesters or provocateurs.
– summarized the NSZZ RI Solidarność leadership at the time.
Public reactions and subsequent statements from government officials were cataloged with additional notes about ongoing protests in other regions. Observers reported that the farmers’ movement grew in intensity as blocks formed at regional offices and along key routes, with acts of solidarity such as handing out flowers to women being noted in some areas.
Source: wPolityce