Polish ruling party failed to follow through on plans to recall agriculture minister over controversial EU-Mercosur trade deal.
PiS Blunders in Recall Attempt
As described by Wirtualna Polska, in the first half of January, PiS club leader Mariusz Błaszczak announced he would submit a motion to recall Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Stefan Krajewski. However, the faction has not yet done so. Representatives of Jarosław Kaczyński’s party accuse the minister of not blocking the agreement with Mercosur.
“Well, what a blunder, what should I say to you. Someone obviously didn’t keep an eye on it,” said a PiS MP in a conversation with the service.
PiS Plans Agricultural Conference
According to information from the portal, PiS also planned for Saturday, January 24, a program conference “Thinking Poland. Alternative 2.0” about agriculture in Ostrów Mazowiecka. During the event, President Jarosław Kaczyński is also scheduled to give a speech. All of this is to “heat up” the situation in the Polish countryside.
EU Signs Historic Trade Deal with Mercosur
After 25 years of negotiations, the European Union signed a trade agreement with the four Mercosur countries. The ceremony took place in Paraguay. The agreement was approved by most countries, with objections from Poland, Austria, France, Ireland, and Hungary. The agreement eliminates trade barriers with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay and tariffs on over 90 percent of products. The President of the EC called this agreement “historic.”
Parliament Refers Mercosur Agreement to Court
At the Wednesday session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, a motion to refer the agreement to the Court of Justice in Luxembourg was passed. It was prepared by a group of Polish deputies led by Krzysztof Hetman from the Polish People’s Party. As expected, the majority for referring was small, with a 10-vote margin. 334 MEPs voted to refer to the Court, while 324 were against.
Potential Delays and Concerns
This decision may delay the ratification of the Mercosur agreement in the European Parliament, as deputies will likely delay voting on the entire agreement until the Court issues its ruling. And that could take even two years.
Meanwhile, some believe that without waiting for the Court, the agreement could be temporarily applied. This could in turn lead to even greater anger among farmers. There is also a risk of legal and trade chaos if the Court sides with opponents of the agreement, who argue it is incompatible with European law. This concerns food safety – food produced in Mercosur countries does not have to meet strict EU requirements, as pesticides and antibiotics are used. There are also doubts about the ratification process of the agreement.
