Farmers demonstration sees low turnout before EU vote

In a field outside of the Belgian capital, Brussels, farmers gathered to protest against European environmental regulations, with demonstrators coming from Poland, the Netherlands, and France. Organizers had expected a significant turnout for this final protest before the EU elections, despite Brussels recently easing environmental demands in its common agricultural policy (CAP).

As the EU struggles to hit its climate goals, European farmers believe these concessions do not go far enough to protect their industry. Christian Convers, general secretary of farmers union Coordination Rurale, stated, “There are a few small developments that we are obliged to note. But for the moment, at this stage, they add nothing at an economic level.”

Despite ongoing anger, only around 2,000 people attended the protests, far from the 15,000 to 20,000 organizers had expected. One possible reason for this was the support given to demonstrators by right-wing politicians and groups.

Sieta van Keimpema, a spokesperson for the organization Farmers Defence Force, denied the allegations of political involvement, stating, “This is a lie that we have heard over and over again. There is no politics in this protest and there is nothing extreme but the people who lie.”

However, the list of speakers at the event included politicians from far-right parties, leading to concerns raised by the European Greens. The party’s lead candidate and MEP Bas Eickhout stated, “The far-right has been feeding farmers the lie that Europe, and the Green Pact, is to blame for their hardship.” The Greens expressed willingness to work with farmers who “operate within the framework of democracy.”

The protests, which began during the winter, have pressured the European Commission into changing the CAP and dropping legislation over pesticide use. Copa-Cogeca, the EU’s main farmers’ organization, distanced itself from the event, claiming that none of its members took part.