Angry farmers demonstrate in Prague for equal subsidies with their EuropeanUnion counterparts

On Wednesday, the streets of Prague were filled with farmers who came to tell the government exactly what they thought of the current state of negotiations with the European Union over farming subsidies, and the protestors were clearly angry.

Angry farmers demonstrate in Prague for equal subsidies with their EuropeanUnion counterparts

Photo: CTK

An estimated 10,000 farmers from across the country traveled to Prague on Tuesday. They came to tell the government that they were unwilling to accept less than their counterparts in the European Union while the government negotiates the final stage of the agricultural chapter in accession negotiations. The protesters were loud and angry, and they wanted to make their grievances heard.

The protest began at the Agricultural ministry, where the protesters showed their frustration by pelting the ministry buildings with potatoes, beets, eggs, and tomatoes. The farmers also lit a number of small fires outside the building and blocked the entrance with piles of manure. Agriculture Minister Jaroslav Palas invited three protest leaders in for brief talks after deciding not to address the crowd, but later called off the talks after a potato broke a window where the men were siting. The minister said the demonstration was justified, however he condemned the damage. No arrests were made.

The farmers then made their way to the centre of the city, Prague's Wenceslas Square where they voiced their demands to the government.

The farmers were protesting against the unequal position they feel they will be in compared with their future colleagues in the European Union. In accession negotiations, the EU is only willing to provide a fraction of the farm subsidies to the new member countries. The most important of these are direct subsidies, the EU proposes to pay only 25% of the amount paid to farmers in member states at the onset of membership, while Czech farmers are asking for subsidies which are equal to half the amount paid to their colleagues in the EU.

I spoke to two farmers and asked why it was so important to come to Prague.

"Well there are unequal conditions, we don't want subsidies, we want equal conditions. They can give us equal conditions and that's it. How are we supposed to start at the same place? They have 100% subsidies in the EU and we have 25%. But, people in the Czech Republic should understand when Czech farmers are wiped out then the cost of groceries will go up, they should understand that."

It seems unlikely that the protesters will get there wish. The European Union is showing an unwillingness to give the Czech Republic, along with the other candidate countries equal subsidies citing budget restraints due to a lack of funds.