Bulgarian Farmers Protest, Demand Agriculture Minister's Resignation
Bulgarian farmers staged a protest in the capital city of Sofia on Tuesday, February 13, demanding the resignation of Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev. As a result, police forces were deployed to the centre of Sofia early in the morning as protesters warned of their readiness for "non-peaceful actions," reported the Bulgarian News Agency.
Two of Bulgaria's largest livestock farmers, Dimo Spasov and Tzanko Tsanev, spilled milk directly in front of the parliament building. Demonstrators carried signs with slogans such as "You easily promise but then don't deliver" and "Enough experimenting with Bulgarian agriculture."
Four protesters were allowed into the government building to present their demands.
Former Agriculture Minister Ventsislav Varbanov, who now heads the Association of Agricultural Producers of Bulgaria, spoke on behalf of the protesters. He stated that the protest arose due to unfair distribution of subsidies, as the current agriculture minister "divides farmers into ours and theirs." However, Varbanov clarified that the protesters do not seek the resignation of the current prime minister, only the agriculture minister.
In addition to Sofia, protests by farmers on February 13 also took place in other regions of Bulgaria. Protesters blocked the road from Varna to Burgas, insisting that those who signed agreements with the government represent only a portion of the farmers.
It is worth noting that on February 12, an initiative committee representing 26 agricultural organizations in Bulgaria presented their demands at a press conference. These demands were termed "measures to rescue Bulgarian agriculture." The committee stated that they do not accept the agreement reached with the government following a series of meetings between government officials and some protesting organizations.
Furthermore, The Gaze reported today that in Poland, the district prosecutor's office in Helm, Lublin Voivodeship, has initiated an investigation into the spillage of Ukrainian grain.
The incident involving the spillage of grain from three Ukrainian trucks occurred on Sunday, February 11, around 12:30 Kyiv time on Route 12, leading to the border crossing in Dorohusk, near the site of the farmers' protest. According to preliminary police data, protesters removed customs seals from three trucks coming from Ukraine, leading to partial spillage of grain onto the road. Police estimate that approximately one ton of grain spilled from each truck.