Polish Farmers’ Fury Will Be Felt in Sunday’s Presidential Election

Farmers in Poland will use their vote in the Sunday, May 18th presidential elections to vent their anger at the European Union, which has let them down with its debilitating green regulations and by allowing the import of cheap Ukrainian agricultural products.

At last year’s European elections, Polish farmers voted overwhelmingly for right-leaning parties that pledged to protect them: 61.9% of them for the opposition conservative Law and Justice (PiS) and 15.5% for the right-wing Konfederacja.

In the first round of Sunday’s presidential election, independent conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki—supported by PiS—can also count on the support of the farmers.

He has called EU climate policies an “existential and fundamental” threat to Poland’s economy and sovereignty, and has vowed to hold a national referendum on the European Green Deal,which he says jeopardises the livelihood of Polish farmers and urban residents alike.

Public discontent with the Green Deal has been evident, particularly following widespread protests by farmers last year.

But Polish farmers took to the streets earlier this year, too, to call out “the harmful policies of the European Union”—the Mercosur free trade agreement, the Green Deal, imports from Ukraine, the destruction of Polish forests and hunting, as well as “extinguishing the Polish economy.” They have been particularly angry about agricultural imports from Ukraine which they say unfairly undercut Polish producers.

Farmers as well as truck drivers had previously blockaded crossings at the Ukrainian border in a show of frustration, calling for the left-liberal government to take action.

They now place all their hopes in the conservatives and right-wing populists, and though the presidential office is mainly a ceremonial one with limited powers, a right-wing president would be more likely to veto bills he sees harmful to Polish agriculture.

“When I am president of Poland, I will not agree to Polish farmers, Polish agricultural holdings or Polish transport companies suffering as a result of unfair competition from Ukraine,” Karol Nawrocki declared during his election campaign.

The first round of the election will see thirteen candidates pitted against each other but the two main rivals, Karol Nawrocki and liberal Rafał Trzaskowski, will likely go through to the second round. According to opinion polls,Trzaskowski will get 29-32% of the votes, while Nawrocki is predicted to receive 25-27%.

Konfederacja’s candidate Sławomir Mentzen is polling at 12-13%.