The Polish government was complicit in supporting the agreement with Ukraine, which led to the abolition of licensing requirements for Ukrainian drivers, the leader of the Confederation party and Deputy Speaker of the Polish Sejm Krzysztof Bosak has claimed.
During a visit to the Polish-Ukraine border at Medyka to support the protests by farmers and truck drivers against unfair competition from Ukraine, Bosak said that government officials in Warsaw had backed the unconditional opening of the Polish agricultural market which has proved unfavorable for Polish farmers and that the situation was then duplicated in the transport industry.
The truck drivers’ protest began on November 6 with the demand for the return of licenses for Ukrainian drivers to be able to drive on roads in the EU. The licensing system was removed after the beginning of the war in Ukraine lowering the costs for Ukrainian business which, according to the Polish transport industry, has led to domestic firms being forced out of the market.
The demand for the return of licenses is backed by five road haulage associations from Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Lithuania. The blockade on the border concerns vehicles used for goods transport only. Private cars as well as military and humanitarian convoys are not being affected.
The Confederation leader noted that the inflow of grain from Ukraine had increased more than tenfold as prices fell and checks were abandoned. He added that the whole notion of “technical grain” that was invented has no basis in Polish law and has led to serious abuse, claiming it was just a ruse to get the Ukrainian grain into Poland.
Bosak accused the Polish government of ignoring the situation for too long and claimed it had been acting against the interests of the protesting drivers and farmers. He noted that the Ukrainian authorities had been far more assertive in defending the interests of their businesses.
Bosak reiterated the protesters’ demands: the restoration of transport limits for Ukrainian companies, control of capital and transport companies that were established after the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the liquidation of the so-called e-queues on the Ukrainian side.
The party has indicated that it will not support Mateusz Morawiecki’s bid to continue as prime minister and will also vote against the government, which will probably be formed by the parliamentary majority backing Donald Tusk.
