The farmer protests in Europe have taken root in Ireland and England over the weekend. Even though those farmers are no longer in the European Union, they are expressing solidarity with European farmers while protesting their own plights too.
In Greece, farmers dumped produce in the streets. In Ireland, farmers say that they are displaying solidarity with European farmers protesting over-regulation, bureaucracy and low incomes.
Last week, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen met with farm lobby organizations after the summit, alongside Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Von der Leyen said that they are “addressing short-term challenges” and “structural challenges faced by the sector in our Strategic Dialogue.”
What does that mean?
The media continues to paint the protests as “far right” but farmers reject that. A spokesperson for the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association said this to The Irish Times: ““Obviously, others might have a different approach but as far as we’re concerned, the problems of farming are complex and demand a technical knowledge and long-term commitment. Our problems are a matter between us and the Government and [European] Commission, they are not cudgels to be picked up and used by people who might have other, much wider agendas.”
