The farmer protests sweeping the European Union may have taken political leaders by surprise. But the tinder was dry and all it took was a spark for unrest to spread like wildfire, as Hanne Cokelaere and Bartosz Brezezinski report in this Politico news story.
Farmers are being burdened by debt, squeezed by powerful retailers and agrochemical companies, battered by extreme weather, and undercut by cheap foreign imports, for years now — all while relying on a subsidy system that favors the big players.
From a two-hour protest action across Poland to a multi-day “siege” of Paris, angry farmers have launched protests across the EU since the start of the year.
Many complain of overbearing EU regulations, high costs and falling incomes. But their grievances vary between and within countries. The protests have spanned the EU, from east to west. In 11 EU countries, prices paid to farmers fell by more than 10 percent from 2022 to 2023.
Source: Politico. Read the full story here
Related: ‘They’re drowning us in regulations’: how Europe’s furious farmers took on Brussels and won
Related: Angry farmer protests are spreading across Europe — and getting results
Cover photo: Spanish farmers march through Logrono, La Rioja on 8 February. Credit JM Garcia/EPA via The Guardian
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