Farmers Stage Protests in Several European Countries

February 7, 2024 Hour: 12:35 pm

On Wednesday, thousands of farmers are staging protests against the policies of the European Union in countries such as Spain, Italy, Poland and Belgium.

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GREECE: For the third consecutive week, Greek farmers continue their protests. On Wednesday, they blocked the country’s main highways, while Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pledged to be open to dialogue if producers lifted their blockades.

Farmers blocked the highways connecting Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, with the rest of the country. They also blocked the port of Igoumenitsa. Blockades are also expected on the island of Crete and at the border crossing between Macedonia and the city of Serres.

They are demanding a renegotiation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), subsidies for feed and other inputs, and compensation for crop damage caused by natural disasters.

On Tuesday, over 70 Greek agricultural associations decided to call for a major demonstration in Athens next week.

At least 200 tractors block part of the highway near Bologna as farmers denounce domestic and EU-wide policies continued across the bloc pic.twitter.com/23kN6gdKCM

— RT (@RT_com)
February 7, 2024

SPAIN: Around 2,000 tractors arrived in Barcelona to protest against the European Union’s agricultural and environmental policies.

Meanwhile, farmers have blocked roads in about seven Spanish autonomous communities to demand that free trade agreements include provisions requiring foreign farmers to comply with EU standards.

In Catalonia, farmers also face a severe drought, which has led the regional government to impose restrictions on water use.

On Wednesday, Spanish President Pedro Sanchez pledged to strengthen the food chain law aimed at preventing farmers from selling their products at a loss. He also promised to simplify the CAP and facilitate adaptation to European regulations.

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Massive farmers protest in Spain protesting against Agenda 2030.pic.twitter.com/824m7V4ipU

— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7)
February 7, 2024

ITALY: In recent days, Italian farmers have been moving towards Rome to stage a major protest next week. Thousands of tractors and trucks are expected to gather at the Circus Maximus, a 2,800-year-old monument that hosted gladiator fights, triumphal processions, and horse races in ancient Rome.

On Wednesday, in an attempt to capitalize on the political moment, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asserted that her administration had been defending farmers long before protests against European environmental policies began.

The far-right leader also welcomed the announcement by the European Commission to withdraw the legislative proposal on pesticides, a decision applauded by farmers.

“The Italian government has been working in Europe, with great determination and common sense, to chart a different path from the one taken so far and to combine agricultural production, respect for workers, and environmental sustainability,” she vowed.

She’s right. The Netherlands is the 2nd biggest food exporter in the world but their government is undermining their livelihoods.

The world needs farmers rather than the governments who undermine them.#NoFarmersNoFood pic.twitter.com/U3qyb3YdhX

— James Melville �� (@JamesMelville)
February 6, 2024

POLAND: Farmer associations announced they would again block roads to prevent the entry of Ukrainian goods. This one-month measure will start from Friday, February 9.

The new wave of protests comes after the European Commission recently decided to keep Ukrainian agri-food imports exempt from quotas and tariffs. Poland and other neighboring countries with Ukraine have opposed this decision.

On Monday, Agriculture Vice Minister Michal Kolodziejczak announced that Poland would request at least an 8 percent increase in tariffs on Ukrainian oil imports. His country will also request import taxes on Ukrainian sugar beet.

About a month ago, farmers suspended their protests after the Polish government accepted tax reductions, approved preferential loans, and granted subsidies for maize production.

Since these measures have not yet been approved by the European Commission, farmers decided to resume mobilizations to pressure the Polish government to fulfill its promises.

#FromTheSouth News Bits | France: About 10,000 farmers continue for the second consecutive day the blockade of Paris, with the support of about 5 thousand tractors that are used to interrupt the circulation on 8 highways, as a protest to denounce their economic situation. pic.twitter.com/ntgRoFxXCi

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)
January 31, 2024