In an interview with wPolityce.pl, former Agriculture Minister Robert Telus described the situation as more than just a farming issue. He argued that the sentiment toward farmers reflects broader concerns about Ukrainian products and the Green Deal. Telus noted that the Agriculture Committee, with votes from the ruling coalition aligned with Donald Tusk, rejected a draft resolution aimed at defending Polish farmers.
Telus suggested that the anticipated meeting with Tusk would yield no real changes or concrete details, a prediction he had already voiced before the talks began.
He pointed out that measures discussed prior to the meeting, such as suspending certain shutdowns, were already in place in previous policy. The same reasoning applied to crop protection products.
— he recalled from his time in Morawiecki’s government.
READ ALSO: ONLY WITH US. “After 40 minutes, listening to Tusk left the farmer unsettled and anxious enough to require medical assistance.”
Farmers Will Not Relent
According to Telus, Tusk appears stuck.
According to Telus, Tusk hopes farmers will retreat to the fields and that the problem will fade. Telus rebutted this idea, stating that Polish farmers will not yield easily and will stand firm in support of their interests, even if that means ongoing confrontation with Tusk’s approach.
Telus referenced remarks attributed to Tusk during a meeting with farmers, where he allegedly said he could not affect the situation.
“He can,” Telus asserted. “In April 2023, we demonstrated readiness by imposing an embargo on all related products. The current grain embargo reflects a decision by the Polish state. Expanding this embargo to include additional products is straightforward, given ministerial support from both the Development and Agriculture ministries, led by figures from PSL. Examples include sugar, apple concentrate, and soft fruits. It’s not a problem, but there is a reluctance to extend it.”
Telus reminded listeners that lawmakers from Tusk’s coalition showed their true colors during yesterday’s Agriculture Committee session. The committee reviewed the first reading of a parliamentary draft resolution aimed at addressing farmers’ protests and the broader challenges in Polish agriculture, while also considering the demands of striking farmers.
During Wednesday’s Sejm Commission meeting, a proposal was made to pass a resolution that would empower the Prime Minister to influence these decisions with broader parliamentary support. However, the ruling majority dismissed the plan. Telus described the move as a symbolic gesture that ignored the real needs of farmers. He asserted that the controversy is less about farming policy and more about the handling of Ukrainian products and the Green Deal.
Telus also criticized the government’s actions as inconsistent. He noted that while there is talk about reducing wasteland, Brussels has commitments to assist lowering CO2 emissions, linking it to broader policy goals.
Telus concluded that these tensions are undermining European and Polish agriculture, potentially accelerating its decline rather than stabilizing it, according to his remarks after fieldwork.
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— Citation: wPolityce coverage of events surrounding the meeting with Tusk
— Citation: wPolityce coverage of farmers being unable to attend the meeting with Tusk despite invitations
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