European peasants have been protests for more than two months

Since the end of 2023 a wave of protests began to be gestated that has spread and strengthened throughout Europe. Some of the first demonstrations occurred at the end of last year, when farmers from several border countries with Ukraine, blocked roads to prevent the entry of Ukrainian cereals.

Then, in the first week of December, in Cahors, France, hundreds of farmers threw tons of manure and hay in government buildings, demanding better conditions and regulation to sell their products, as they claim that they are working at a loss, due to the increase in the Production costs and to the entry of agricultural products from other countries at a lower price.

A week later, but this time in Berlin, Germany, thousands of farmers They mobilized in their tractors To protest against the government's decision, to end agricultural diesel aid (fuel), which is necessary to operate the machines used by farmers in the field.

Starting on 2024, January 10, In Romania, peasants and truck drivers have blocked traffic on several roads in the country and along the border with Ukraine. They also protest the importation of Ukrainian grains, which are entering the European Union (EU) without tariffs and are causing the bankruptcy of local producers. The state's response was promises and repression: several arrested protesters and suspended driving licenses for some truck drivers who participated.

January 29, Thousands of French farmers took their tractors and headed towards the capital Paris , with the aim of sitting it by blocking several highways. The state's response was to deploy thousands of police officers to prevent the arrival of farmers to the capital. The main reasons indicated by the French peasants to mobilize, are the high cost of agricultural diesel, delays in subsidy payments and the unbearable competition against imports of foreign agricultural products.

On February 1, strong protests were recorded in Brussels, Belgium, when the peasants took the streets surrounding the European Parliament, completely collapsing mobility in this important sector, known as the EU heart. Confrontations were presented between the protesters and the police, bonfires were set, the farmers launched eggs to Parliament, in addition to feeling the speakers of their tractors and gunpowder.

February 6, Spanish farmers carried out strong protests , with which dozens of roads have blocked throughout the country. They demand decreased bureaucratic procedures and changes in common agricultural policy (PAC), fair prices for their products, aid against drought and suspension of imports from some products from other countries, since they point out that competition is unfair, already that these foreign products are not required the same as European products. One of the most important actions of protesters was the blockade of the Mercadona Logistics Center in the city of Antequera, where farmers demanded fair prices for their products. Mercadona is one of the main supermarket chains in Spain, an action that was repressed by the riots, who threw tear gas and rubber bullets.

February 26, hundreds of farmers made a new day of protests in Brussels . There were clashes with the police, against which the protesters launched manure, eggs, bottles and raised barricades with tires to defend themselves.

The protests have continued and extended, those mentioned above are just a sample of the strong wave of mobilizations that are lived in Europe, many more have occurred throughout the continent. Blocks and protests have been recorded in several cities and roads in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Spain, Romania, Poland, Italy, Greece, Portugal, among others. Some of them with clashes between protesters and the repressive forces of the State.

Next, some of the causes or reasons that have led the farmers to take the de facto roads and take to the streets to block and protest.

1- The increase in production costs due to the increase in several necessary supplies in agricultural production. For example, fuel prices due to Russia's invasion war against Ukraine, to which the fact that some governments such as Germany and France are added to eliminate taxes, or tax exemptions, which farmers receive Agricultural diesel, which aggravates the problem. Also fertilizers and electricity have substantially increased their prices.

2- Imposition of environmental measures to farmers. The European Parliament, through the European Green Pact, and reforms to the Common Agrarian Policy (PAC), seeks to impose environmental measures, taxes and restrictions on agricultural production. Some of the measures that have been mentioned most are forcing farmers to dedicate 4% of their land to non -productive activities, reduce the use of fertilizers by 20% and make crop rotation. Measures with which, according to protesters, production costs are increased. In addition, farmers denounce that, while they are imposed greater environmental measures and controls, imported products, from other countries, are not required, therefore, competition is totally unequal.

3- Due to the War of Invasion in Ukraine, the European Union lifted the restrictions on imports from that country. In particular, cereal entry has in serious problems to European farmers, since Ukraine is one of the main grain -producing countries in the world, and the entrance without tariffs of their products, to other European countries, causes a fall of the prices and impossibility for local farmers to compete, working at a loss.

4- The role of intermediaries. While the peasants are receiving low prices for their products, many of these products have increased their prices in supermarkets, where they are acquired by the final consumer, however, that price increase is being left by intermediaries, which are mainly the Financial capital and large distribution chains and supermarkets, in the hands of large monopolies.

There are more fighting reasons, but these are some of the most mentioned in different media that have covered the protests.

The European people have shown great expressions of struggle in recent years, just remember the struggle of the French yellow vests that shuddered the entire country, and that aroused solidarity in many peoples of the world. Today are the peasants throughout Europe who fight for their rights. Against the worsening of their living conditions due to production, against unequal competition generated by imports of foreign products, against the low prices paid by intermediaries for their products, for greater guarantees from the State to protect the local peasant production, among other fighting flags. Meanwhile, the governments of each country have responded in two ways: with promises to mitigate the struggle and with repression when the masses have expressed their combativeness and firmness in the blockages and in the confrontations with the forces of police repression. However, although governments carry out promises, European states and the European Union, they cannot solve the underlying problem: the crisis of imperialism that, in their insatiable search to increase their profits and save their decadent system, is carrying out their plans and reforms to increase exploitation over the people, to download the weight of the crisis over the working classes of the countryside and the city, and to eliminate subsidies or rights acquired by the masses in the struggles of past decades, to which, the people European has responded, and will continue to do so, with combative struggle and organization.