The Agricultural Twelve, a list of twelve demands to the future government regarding agricultural and food policy, was published during the election campaign by the agricultural branches of the All-Poland Confederation of Trade Unions (OPZZ RIOR) and the Solidarity movement. Demands include not banning ritual slaughter and not restricting meat production and livestock farming.
The list includes 12 statements which political parties may agree or disagree with. «We have an absolute right to demand from future politicians, representatives of society, answers as to what is their attitude to the most important issue for our environment, that is, our development and future prospects,» the authors stated.
So far, the only party that has officially supported the Agricultural Twelve was PiS (ECR), as stated on OPZZ RIOR’s website, with incumbent Agriculture Minister Robert Telus declaring the party’s intention to implement all the demands.
Yet, the list of farmers' demands may divide the current opposition pro-EU camp, led by Donald Tusk, which gained enough votes in the general elections held on 16 October to secure a parliamentary majority, as opposed to PiS, and want to form a government.
The camp includes Tusk’s centrist Civic Coalition (KO, EPP) alliance, the Left (S&D) and the Third Way bloc, consisting of centre-green Poland 2050 party (Renew) and centrist Polish People’s Party (PSL, EPP).
The PSL, a traditionally agrarian party whose origins date back to the late 19th century, also supports the Agricultural Twelve, as MP Stefan Krajewski explained in the Woronicza 17 programme broadcast by public broadcaster TVP on Sunday morning.
This, however, puts the party on the same side of the political barricade as PiS, which desperately needs a coalition partner stronger than the ultra-conservative Confederation party to stay in power.
While Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has already declared that PiS did not rule out negotiations «with anyone,» PiS MP Sebastian Kaleta told the private RMF FM radio on Monday morning that he found a coalition with PSL «impossible at the moment.»
Meanwhile, PSL head Władysław Kosiniak Kamysz left no doubt about any potential alliance with PiS. The party wants to create a coalition with KO, the Left and Poland 2050, he said on Monday, as quoted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
KO had not yet replied to EURACTIV. pl's question about its position on the agricultural Twelve by the time this article was published. However, the bloc, which includes the Polish Green Party, has indicated that it may be prepared to reject the demands as they violate animal rights.
In a battle for farmers' hearts during the election campaign, KO allied itself with AgroUnia, one of the most popular Polish farmers' movements of recent years, led by the charismatic farmer and newly elected MP Michał Kołodziejczak, the likely agriculture minister in Tusk’s potential government.
The Left did not openly support the farmers' list of demands, although MP Andrzej Szejna described most of them as «reasonable». However, those relating to animal husbandry represent «an outdated approach to food production that causes animal suffering,» he said on Woronicza 17, adding that protecting animal rights should be a priority.
The list published on the OPZZ RIOR website shows that some of the elected PiS lawmakers and one PSL lawmaker, Marek Sawicki, have officially declared their support for the Agricultural Twelve.
President Andrzej Duda, who is now expected to appoint the new prime minister, will hold a series of consultations with parliamentary parties this week on forming the new government.
PigUA.info by materials euractiv.com