2024-11-25 14:45 update: 2024-11-25, 14:48
Photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz
The Polish border crossing with Ukraine in Medyka has reopened for trucks after farmers lifted a blockade on Sunday night.
Polish farmers who had been blocking the border crossing for two days have opted to suspend their protest until December 10, pending a response from Warsaw regarding their demands. Initially, they had planned to continue the protest until the end of the year.
"We will write down all our demands and present them to the agriculture minister (Czeslaw Siekierski - PAP)," Roman Kondrow, the leader of the Deceived Countryside organisation in the southeastern Podkarpackie province, told PAP. "Should the minister disregard our concerns and merely present promises, we will once again block the road and demand talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk," he said.
From Friday through late Sunday, farmers banned trucks transporting export goods from Ukraine and allowed only one lorry per hour to enter Ukraine from Poland. The blockade did not affect private vehicles, buses, or humanitarian and military transport.
The farmers have vented their anger over a raised agricultural tax in 2024, which they wanted to remain unchanged from the previous year, and the EU's plans to sign a deal with Mercosur, a group of several South American nations. They fear the agreement will lead to an influx of agricultural products into Poland, undermining local farmers.
Minister Siekierski, who visited the farmers on Sunday afternoon, confirmed that his ministry, in cooperation with the Ministry of Development, was preparing a joint negative stance on the EU-Mercosur deal, which will be presented at a government meeting on Tuesday. (PAP)
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