Month of protests begins in Poland: Farmers to march on Brussels in December

A month-long wave of farmer protests has begun in Poland and is set to culminate with a major international demonstration in Brussels on December 18. The first tractor convoys, flying Polish flags, will take to the roads on November 14 in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Organizers warn that if the situation in agriculture does not improve, the strike will expand across the entire country.

Farmers cite low purchase prices for agricultural products, soaring production costs, and competition from imports coming from third countries — including Ukraine and South American states — as the main reasons for their discontent. According to them, current EU agricultural policies are increasingly threatening the economic viability of European farming.

The protest campaign will continue until December 14. Participants, including the “Solidarity” trade union and the West Pomeranian Agricultural Chamber, stress that the demonstrations are meant as a warning. Tractors will not block roads but will move in convoys to show the scale of discontent. Farmers emphasize they are not fighting for privileges but for survival — and for the future of Polish agriculture.

Wiktor Szmulewicz, president of the National Council of Agricultural Chambers, stated that the Polish protests are part of a broader European mobilization. Farmers from across the EU plan to gather in Brussels just before Christmas, when key negotiations on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy and the EU-Mercosur trade deal will take place. “We want to show that there is no consent for policies that destroy European agriculture,” Szmulewicz said.

Organizers warn that the uncontrolled influx of cheap food from outside the EU threatens Poland’s food sovereignty. They demand compensation, stabilizing payments, and protective mechanisms to prevent further price declines and preserve farm liquidity. “A farmer doesn’t need handouts or privileges — only a fair market where everyone plays by the same rules,” the protesters conclude.

Tags: protests, Poland