On Friday, EU countries agreed to conclude a trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc of South American countries. The agreement will introduce tariff preferences for certain agricultural products, and in return, South American markets will be opened to EU industrial goods.
Which countries voted against the Mercosur agreement?
What does the Polish government promise to protesting farmers?
What does Krzysztof Bosak think about the contract?
What actions is taken by KO MP Mariusz Witczak regarding the contract?
“On the EU-Mercosur issue, as we announced, we voted against. In the provisions themselves, @nowePSL won specific protections: protective clauses that give countries tools to react when imports begin to affect the profitability of production and destabilize the market. This is the result of hard work in Brussels and talks with partners – without it, these provisions would not exist. The case is not closed: we will prepare an appeal against the agreement to the CJEU and we will continue to fight for equal standards for European farmers,” wrote the leader of PSL, Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
“Poland, France, Hungary, Ireland and Austria voted AGAINST the EU-MERCOSUR agreement. Belgium abstained. The rest of the EU countries voted in favour. We convinced our allies to vote AGAINST, PiS convinced its allies to vote FOR. But the formal vote is at 5 p.m., you still have time, Mr. President Jarosław Kaczyński, convince your allies,” wrote the Minister of Agriculture, Stefan Krajewski from PSL.
“What did the government do? Wasted the time of the EU presidency. Farmers' righteous anger. Our food security is in ruins, and Donald Tusk is silent,” writes Beata Kempa, advisor to President Karol Nawrocki, on the X website.
Krzysztof Bosak writes about the “Mercosur agreement, which is deadly for Polish agriculture” on X. “The Polish government voted against it and, unfortunately, that is the only good thing that can be said about Prime Minister Tusk's attitude in this matter,” adds the Deputy Speaker of the Sejm, who accuses the government of “long months of shows of hypocrisy” and “complete passivity in the international arena.”
“Donald Tusk bears full responsibility for the entry into force of the Mercosur agreement and all the damage that will be caused to Polish farmers and Polish consumers as a result,” we read in Bosak's entry.
KO MP Mariusz Witczak emphasized that the Polish government tried to block the EU-Mercosur agreement and would continue to strive for the introduction of mechanisms to protect Polish farmers against the effects of this agreement. According to the KO MP, any claims regarding the agreement with the bloc of South American countries should be sent to PiS.
“Karol Nawrocki declared that he had excellent relations with the Italians and would convince them to vote against. What did he do? Absolutely nothing – these are the facts,” wrote Tomasz Trela from the Left.
