Polish farmers plan a complete blockade of the Poland-Ukraine border crossing, including highways, during an industrial action on February 9 to lambast the EU's agricultural policy, according to the Solidarity trade union.
“The position of Brussels from January 2024 cannot be accepted by our farming community. Moreover, the inaction of the Polish authorities and plans to cooperate with the European Commission and respect all its decisions regarding the import of agricultural products and food from Ukraine leave us no choice but to announce a general strike," the protesters said in a statement.
The trade union has appealed to their fellow citizens to cooperate and show understanding regarding the ensuing situation as they fight for their "common good" to forestall the impoverishment of Polish families.
The planned protests by farmers in Poland come on the heels of the escalating farmer protests in several European Union member countries. The agitating farmers list reasons like EU markets being flooded with cheap and tax-free agricultural products from Ukraine, agricultural subsidy cutbacks, etc. The EU's deal with Kiev to extend the facilitated trade regime has triggered farmer fury within the bloc, especially in Brussels.