Polish protesters block the border with Germany

The protests of Polish farmers spread to the border with Germany. The strikers blocked the A2 motorway in Świecko (near Słubice), which merges into the German A12 in Frankfurt am Oder, a route important for international transport. The protest will block traffic for about 17 000 trucks that cross the Polish-German border every day.

This is reported by Polsat News.

The blockade began at 1:00 p.m. yesterday, with protesters blocking traffic in both directions on the A2 highway, AFP reported, citing senior sergeant Ewę Murmyło from the border post in Słubice.

At first, the farmers announced that the blockade would last until March 20. After negotiations with local authorities, companies and carriers, they decided to hold a 24-hour warning strike — until 13:00 today.

The Germans were warned about the strikes and urged to avoid this path. Trucks are also advised not to use the city bridge between Frankfurt and Słubice. There, German traders and transporters announced a protest action from 22:00 until noon today.

Guido Noack of the East Brandenburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry told German radio RBB that he feared large-scale "traffic chaos" that could reach the outskirts of Berlin. The official says that many drivers ignore intercity detours and still try to drive over a city bridge or a blocked road.

The situation on the Polish-Ukrainian border

Polish carriers plan to join the farmersʼ protests and resume the blockade on the border with Ukraine from March 1. The strikes were officially stopped at the beginning of January. The Polish government then made concessions and satisfied some of the demands of the protesters at the time.

This is reported by RFM24.

Carriers from the Lublin and Subcarpathia Province want to block crossings in the settlements of Hrebenne, Dorohusk and Korczowa again. It is possible that the protest will also cover access to the crossing in Medyka.

Carriers complain that Ukrainians are allegedly pushing them out of the market. From November 2023, they demand the return of the permit system for carriers from Ukraine.

What is known about the Polesʼ protests

From November 2023, Poles periodically block checkpoints on the border with Ukraine. Polish carriers, and then farmers, have been obstructing the movement of trucks for varying lengths of time, demanding from their authorities and the European Union to improve working conditions and preferences. They are asking for a ban on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine, which allegedly do not meet EU standards, the return of the permit system for Ukrainian transporters, subsidies for fertilizers, compensation for excise duty on fuel, payment of subsidies and have other demands that do not apply to Ukraine.

On February 20, Polish farmers began a general strike across the country. The Association of Hunters joined them. Protesters blocked six checkpoints on the border with Ukraine. But in the evening of the same day, traffic restrictions near three checkpoints were eased.

Against the backdrop of the Polesʼ blockade of Ukraineʼs western border, Volodymyr Zelensky instructed the government to be at the border with Poland by February 24 and asked Prime Minister Donald Tusk to come there as well, urging Duda to support the governmentʼs dialogue.

The Polish authorities agreed to a meeting, but in a different format — on March 28 in Warsaw at the level of representatives of the governments of Poland and Ukraine.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal addressed the Poles on February 23, offering a plan to unblock the border, which consists of five stages: Ukraine agrees to restrictions on the export of certain goods; appeals to the European Commission with a request to conduct a screening of agricultural and transport policy in order to "remove manipulations" surrounding the quality of Ukrainian products; at the same time, Ukraine demands to stop Russian exports; proposes to create a round-the-clock tripartite headquarters with representatives of Ukraine, Poland and the European Commission to resolve all misunderstandings; Ukraine will also demand the passage of critically needed goods across the border.

According to the Prime Minister, Ukraine has not sold its grain, corn, sunflower seeds and rapeseed to the Polish market for the past five months. Ukrainian grain goes through Poland only in transit. It is about 5% of Ukrainian agricultural exports, because the main route is the "grain corridor" through the Black Sea.