Two weeks apart, a second meeting between Prime Minister Tusk and farming representatives took place. Afterward, NSZZ RI Solidarność chair Tadeusz Obszański described the gathering as marked by silence rather than substance, calling it a single, glaring void in place of concrete answers.
The Prime Minister stated that the border with Ukraine would stay open and that Poland would manage its grain surplus using domestic resources, while ministers work to determine the exact size of the surplus. Earlier remarks suggested a figure of 9 million tons. Changes to the Green Deal for agriculture were announced, though the proposals were advocated by Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski and presented at the EU Council by agriculture ministers from the 27 member states, with limited backing from Tusk and his allies. The stance appeared at odds with the government side, which faced pressure from the agricultural sector and from a broader European policy line that has led to tension over these issues.
On March 20, the movement of farmers intensified as the Agricultural Solidarity federation warned of blockades across provincial towns, border points, and major roads. The government faced criticism for its perceived lack of a clear plan to address the grievances raised by protesting farmers. The Sejm debate on a joint resolution stalled when the ruling majority prevented the first reading in the plenary hall. During committee work, changes were introduced that altered the message of the proposal, undermining its core intent. Protests voiced opposition to ongoing imports from Ukraine of agricultural products such as sugar, eggs, poultry, honey, and frozen raspberries. The existing embargo on wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds, imposed by the PiS government on April 15, 2023, remained in force.
The government also faced political pressure over its alignment with the Green Deal. Party lines within the European People’s Party have used it as a banner in the run-up to the European Parliament elections, complicating any direct confrontation with EU-wide policies. A key factor in the dynamic was Donald Tusk’s absence from a Warsaw meeting with farmers, as he attended a European People’s Party gathering in Bucharest where Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership for the next term of the European Commission received support. The meeting context underscored the broader tension between domestic agricultural priorities and EU policy directions.
Tusk was expected to frame credit for changes to the Common Agricultural Policy that Wojciechowski helped shape, which had been met with approval by the agriculture ministers of the 27 member states at a recent EU gathering. There is a credible expectation that these reforms could be advanced at the upcoming European Commission session. The proposals include moving away from the mandatory 4% land set-aside toward a voluntary eco-scheme financed by ARiMR, relaxed crop-rotation rules, and a shift toward flexible winter land cover application. The plan would also extend exemptions from certain CAP compliance inspections for farms up to 10 hectares, potentially benefiting roughly 75% of Polish farms, and would delay new obligations related to climate or environmental requirements until the end of the current financial period, which runs through 2027.
Tusk’s coalition against the embargo
The extension of the duty-free trade arrangement with Ukraine through 2025, supported in part by the European People’s Party and some left-leaning MEPs in the EU Parliament, suggested that imports of sugar or poultry would not be blocked. At the same time, there was speculation that the Polish government might consider rolling back the wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower embargo that was put in place by the previous administration. The formal process in the EU could reflect Wojciechowski’s proposals, even if not fully supported by the new government. With the EU Parliament’s current term ending in April and the new composition not taking office until September, the tempo of policy shifts remains uncertain. In this context, the Tusk team is portrayed by supporters as pushing for policy changes while facing a public-relations environment where protests and police involvement drew criticism after last Wednesday’s events, amid claims of provocations by unknown actors.