WARSAW
Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Friday met with representatives of farmers ahead of a large protest in Warsaw against a draft European Union trade agreement with Mercosur, a South American trade bloc.
The meeting began at 10 am (0900 GMT) at the Presidential Palace, shortly before thousands of farmers converged on central Warsaw, blocking key streets around the Sejm and government buildings. The Presidential Chancellery posted photographs of the talks on social media, saying Nawrocki was “listening to the concerns of agricultural producers.”
Polish farmers argue the proposed EU-Mercosur pact would open the EU market to cheaper agricultural imports from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay — countries they say operate with lower production standards and weaker environmental and labor regulations.
The agreement, more than two decades in the making, would grant tariff concessions for selected agricultural products from Mercosur countries in exchange for improved access for European machinery, pharmaceuticals and industrial goods.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pushed to finalize the text in Brazil at the end of December but failed to secure backing from several skeptical member states.
Poland, along with France and Hungary, currently opposes approving the deal. Italy has voiced reservations but has not formally joined a blocking minority.
EU agriculture ministers are considering a stricter safeguard clause that would allow governments to halt farm imports if domestic markets are destabilized. Polish Agriculture Minister Stefan Krajewski, speaking in Brussels this week, warned that negotiations remain unpredictable and that “a decision may again be delayed.”
Ambassadors from EU member states are due to vote on Friday, though diplomats say another postponement is likely if a qualified majority cannot be reached.
Poland is Europe’s sixth-largest agricultural producer, and rural voters play a pivotal role in both national and EU politics.
Nawrocki’s meeting with farmers signals a more assertive Polish stance in EU trade diplomacy, as Warsaw seeks to rebuild influence in Brussels after years of strained relations.
If approved, the agreement would still require ratification by individual member states, meaning Polish farmers could continue to shape the debate well into 2026.