Polish Farmers March Against ‘Green Poison’ EU Climate Change Rules

Thousands of protesters, including farmers, miners, and automotive sector workers, marched through the streets of Warsaw on Friday to voice their opposition to the European Union’s environmental regulations. Organized by the Solidarity trade union, the march highlighted the farming community’s struggle against the EU’s Green Deal, which they argue is pushing them out of business with restrictive policies and competition from cheap food imports from Ukraine.

Clad in yellow high-visibility vests and waving red and white Polish flags, the demonstrators carried placards with messages such as “Down with the Green Deal, Down with the European Union” and “Green Poison”. Wieslaw Czerwinski, a retired farmer from Grojec, expressed the common sentiment, stating that the Green Deal only serves to “raise the costs of production, heating, and energy.”

The protest also saw the participation of politicians from the previous nationalist government, who criticize the current pro-European administration led by Donald Tusk for being too compliant with EU demands, allegedly at the expense of Polish workers. Meanwhile, Tusk’s government refutes these allegations, asserting that the previous administration had harmed Poland’s relations with Western allies without effectively supporting sectors like agriculture.

Despite some concessions from the EU and the Polish government, including a subsidy of 2.1 billion zlotys ($526.74 million) to compensate for low grain prices, farmers argue that these measures are insufficient. Recently, the protesters agreed to unblock border crossings with Ukraine, ending a blockade that had strained bilateral relations and impacted trade.