2LT International News

WARSAW, Poland, On May 10, tens of thousands of Polish farmers flooded the streets of downtown Warsaw, demonstrating against the European Union’s climate policies and the current pro-EU government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

The protest, branded with the slogan “Down with the Green Deal,” was organized by the Solidarity farmers’ trade union, which has voiced strong opposition to the EU’s farming strategies, notably the Green Deal, to promote climate-friendly agriculture.

“We are protesting because we don’t want to become slaves on our own land,” stated Grazyna Gasowska, a dairy farmer from eastern Poland. Gasowska criticized the EU’s approach, saying, “According to the Green Deal, we are supposed to grow what they tell us to, when they tell us to. All those diversification requirements are very difficult for the farmers.”

The march was not just noisy but visually striking, stopping at key locations, including the EU Warsaw office and the Polish parliament. Protesters carried banners with messages like, “Let Brussels eat worms, we prefer pork chops and potatoes,” showcasing their disdain for what they perceived as out-of-touch EU dietary suggestions.

The demonstration coincides with the political campaigning for next month’s European Parliament elections. It gained support from the Polish right-wing opposition party Law and Justice, which is trying to regain its political influence after losing power to Tusk’s coalition last year.

In response to the political climate and upcoming elections, Prime Minister Tusk announced a reshuffle of his Cabinet last week. He aimed to inject new energy into his administration, which has been focused on reversing the policies set by the previous government.

“Today comes the time of bringing order and this is one of the reasons for which we jointly decided to have these changes,” Tusk commented, signaling further adjustments in the future aligned with state interests.

Culture Minister Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz and Interior and Administration Minister Marcin Kierwinski were replaced in the reshuffle. The new appointees include Tomasz Siemoniak as the interior minister, Hanna Wroblewska as the culture minister, Jakub Jaworowski overseeing state assets, and Krzysztof Paszyk handling development and technology.

These changes are part of Tusk’s broader effort to free the judiciary and state media from political control and address past mismanagement under the Law and Justice administration.

The new ministers are set to take office following their formal appointment by President Andrzej Duda on May 13.