From fields to battlefields. Donald Tusk militarizes the Polish-Ukrainian border
Tusk announced that railways and highways near border crossings with Ukraine will now become "critical infrastructure." In doing so, the government effectively declared war on the protesting farmers.
Tusk has been virtually absent from public life in recent weeks. He has avoided the media and public statements, including from the parliamentary tribune. This may appear strange to some, particularly in light of the escalating protests by farmers and food producers across the country. To the uninformed, Donald Tusk is more of a public relations animal than a political one. He is 110% political marketing, notoriously breaks his promises (which his electorate or acolytes don't mind), and in times of serious crisis that could force him to make statements that jeopardize his image, he simply disappears or even flees.
Such an attitude on the part of the Polish prime minister — the most important figure in Poland's political architecture, with powers, position, and prerogatives comparable to those of the German chancellor — led many to believe that he, along with the agriculture and finance ministers, was working in the seclusion of government offices to solve this increasingly pressing problem.
As it turned out, nothing could be further from the truth.
Yesterday, on February 22, at a special press conference, Donald Tusk announced that he would add the roads and railways along the Polish-Ukrainian border to the list of so-called critical infrastructure, effectively ending the possibility of farmers continuing their protest, which has been blocking various thoroughfares across the country, including border ones, for nearly two weeks.
During the press conference, Tusk stated that in recent “days, weeks, the fate of Ukraine has been at stake.” “I don't have to convince anyone that this means that our fate is also being weighed,” he went on to say. He also made it clear that “we cannot allow those who openly and actively serve Putin's propaganda to take advantage of the farmers' protest at the border with Ukraine.”
This was most likely a reference to a banner placed on one of the tractors urging the President of the Russian Federation to “do order with Ukraine, Brussels, and our rulers.” A Soviet flag was displayed next to the banner. The photo of the decorated tractor sparked a psychotic episode and apoplexy in the Polish public. The sudden and severe hysteria that erupted in the Polish media, statements by politicians and commentators, and on social media undoubtedly merits the attention of scientists and at least a few doctorates, not only in psychiatry and social psychology, but also cultural anthropology.
Some commentators who support the farmers' protest but are not politically involved, such as Prof. Adam Wielomski, argue that the banner is a typical throw-in by Polish security forces to discredit the protest and gain public support for dispersing the demonstrators. It is difficult to deny the logic of this conclusion, though it must be noted that many farmers, judging from posts on the X network and other similar forums, subscribe to this slogan, which expresses complete helplessness in the face of the actions and inactions of the Polish authorities, rather than “treason” or support for war, as Tusk claims, as we will discuss in a moment. The tractor driver has been detained by police, and the prosecutor's office is likely to file charges against him. Given the atmosphere in Poland and the anti-Russian fervor, he should be grateful that the Polish Criminal Code no longer allows for the death penalty, as social media is rife with calls to decapitate the man or subject him to elaborate torture.
Tusk also stated that “any attack in the public space in support of the Putin narrative is treason [...] I hope that both the protesters and all services draw the correct conclusions from this. We will not tolerate this in any form.” — he emphasized.
This is an extraordinary statement because, under Polish law, the prime minister cannot determine what actions constitute high treason; courts and tribunals are responsible for that. The law does not prevent anyone from “subscribing” to any “narrative,” including “Putin's,” whatever that means. So it's unclear what specific “conclusions” the services were supposed to reach and how to practically apply them. Logically, this should be interpreted as the start of another wave of repression against unruly protesters, politicians, commentators, and journalists, as well as ordinary citizens who, according to the most recent polls, are losing faith in Ukraine and Ukrainians. How all of this will play out in practice remains to be seen. However, it can clearly be interpreted as a prelude to a forceful confrontation with the farmers.
Tusk stated at the press conference that when the relevant entries on the list of critical infrastructure are implemented, a “different organizational regime” will take effect. These words are difficult to interpret other than as an announcement that protests in the border region will be prohibited and disbanded by the authorities, followed by the ordering of a police assault. If this occurs, and farmers have since yesterday announced increased mobilization efforts and categorical opposition to the cessation of border crossing blockades.
It's unclear whether Tusk understands the consequences of a multiday all-out war on highways and railroad turnouts near the Ukrainian border. The massive media syndicate that favors the government, both in Poland and throughout Europe, will try to keep this from the public, but images of violence and conflagration that are unavoidable in such a confrontation will penetrate and reach interested parties (of which there are an increasing number) via other channels. If the Polish prime minister is aware of the risks posed by his actions, we are left with the question of whether this is stupidity or sabotage. What is it even about? Because it is not about resolving the issues that sparked the protest, that's for sure.
During the press conference, Tusk also stated that “aid to Ukraine is unquestionable” and that it takes precedence over all other concerns, including the interests of Polish farmers. In other words, the Polish prime minister has prioritized the interests of Ukraine, or the Ukrainian agrarian magnates and multinational corporations that manage a portion of Ukrainian agriculture, over those of his own country and its citizens. This sets a shocking precedent and tests the Polish public's ability to think and react. How many people will be willing to recognize the danger and obvious pathology of the message delivered in this manner by the Polish Prime Minister?
In this context, it is worth noting that the farmers' protest is more than just a dispute between the government and one or more professional groups; it is also a manifestation of Poland's deep social and cultural conflict, which is clearly reflected in politics. We are witnessing another clash between the world of Polish poor-cosmopolitans, who claim that we can all do without Polish agriculture because avocados are imported from Mexico anyway, and croissants are purchased from a French bakery, and a diverse group of people who want to defend their interests and their state and are willing to make sacrifices in this pursuit.
”We will seek protective solutions for Polish farmers through national methods, including the use of domestic measures, as well as further negotiations with Ukraine and European institutions, in order to mitigate the negative consequences of trade liberalization with Ukraine as much as possible.” Tusk said at the press conference that Polish farmers can count on him. Very few people, if any, take this declaration seriously.
I agree with everything written here. However, I also feel like we need to widen the perspective on this conflict, because this conflict is not only between the Polish conservative nationalists against the policies of the EU, versus the "avocado" eating, pro-EU urban liberals. It is obvious that the Polish government is just a servant of the EU policies, but are all EU policies bad for us? I'm a huge critic of the EU environmental policies, but there's a difference between attacking these policies from the right (global warming is a hoax, we want to keep using fossil fuels etc) and from the left (are you solving real problems or just pretending to do so by slapping the green label the regular, toxic capitalist expansion?)
Polish farmers have every right to protest and express their opinion/fight for their interests and I find jailing, intimidating and shaming them truly appalling. This is typical for the Polish society, which is intolerant and immature. But are the farmers' interests my interests? Are the farmers' postulates progressive? Do the farmers oppose military and financial aid to the fascist regime in Ukraine and the NATO war provocations against Russia, or are they just protesting against one single issue that directly hurts them? Do farmers understand that the Ukrainian grain flows because it used to be sold to Russia, which is now embargoed by the EU, including Poland, and that this, together with the flow of refugees is the direct outcome of their country policies? Do they understand the "free market" policies they generally support? Do farmers care about their fellow citizens' health when they massively spray the food with toxic pesticides and use petrol-based fertilizers? Or they don't care, because they are simply "kulaks" who care only about own profit? Polish farmers want to tell me they are not willing to limit the amount of toxins they discharge into the ground, water and air, into our food causing us irreparable harm, and that this policy is allegedly anti-Polish? They want to tell me that they are set on ignoring all tipping points of ecological collapse and demand more wilderness/forests to be turned into agricultural land for profit? Now they are befriending hunters who kill for sport in their plight. If they care so much about the low quality of Ukrainian grain, why is their grain so toxic and unhealthy for us? Why can't farmers all over Europe sacrifice their self-centered interests for the health of own population? It literally hurts me to see Ukrainian grain destroyed when it could feed starving Palestinians or Yemenis. But Polish farmers don't care about that, they only care about capitalist profit and are willing to destroy food to keep the grain prices up. This is capitalism in its full ugliness, with its vulgarity and lack of empathy, with its empty slogans and hypocrisy. I believe we can do better as a society.
Best Wishes,
Dorota