Farmers protesting in Brussels, firecrackers and manure against the institutions

From tonight on the armored streets of Bruxelles the horns of the gods ring out tractors arrived in the Belgian capital for one demonstration against the Mercosur and the new distribution of European funds which would penalize the entire sector. There city it is armored for the last European Council of 2025 which requires the 27 to find a solution on the financing for Ukraine for 2026-2027, overcoming the reluctance of some states such as Belgium on the use of Russian assets or on the alternative solution to a simple loan that makes everyone agree, and that in a flash is capable of responding with facts to the USA that Europe can still do its part. Meanwhile, in the semi-deserted streets of Brussels, tractors pass by and sing songs with their horns, but the atmosphere is anything but festive.

In front of European Parliament The farmers have dumped manure and the explosions of firecrackers reverberate throughout the European Quarter under the watchful eyes of a massive apparatus of safety. The long day should end in the Place de Luxembourg in the afternoon demonstrations who also saw him arrive in Brussels Italian farmers with the flags of Coldiretti e di Confagricoltura.

Meeting between European leaders and agricultural representatives

The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyenthey had a meeting with farmers’ representatives. The president represents Copa-Cogeca Massimiliano Giansanti. “Thanks to Copa-Cogeca for a positive and productive meeting. In times of uncertainty, ours farmers they need reliability and support. And Europe will always be at their side”, we read in a post on X by Costa and von der Leyen after the meeting. “With a strong and constant support in the EU budget; targeted aid for small family businesses and for i young farmers. E simplifications to make farmers’ daily lives easier. Europe is with you – now and in the future”, they add.

Farmers’ demands: food security and reciprocity

“We highlighted to President Von der Leyen the reasons why the farmers are on the streets. We have been saying for some time that theagriculture it’s an industry fundamental and strategic and it became a strategic asset for the European Union. Being a strategic asset, it must be managed in this way both in terms of economic resources of the budgetboth as a vision. Today we guarantee the food safetythe European market is the main market in the world, we must maintain it and we cannot open our market to anyone who wants to come without guaranteeing our standard. Today we ask reciprocity in all trade agreements“, said the president of Confagricoltura and Copa (which it represents 22 million farmers in Europe), Giansanti.

“Lastly, we are asking better lawswe are not asking for simplifications or deregulations. We ask for laws that can allow us all to be entrepreneurs. Today the climate changethe geopolitical situation and the challenges that await us require strong, authoritative, well-funded policies and that they keep Europe united. We ask to gather around strong values ​​like those of the founding fathers who gave birth to the European Union on agriculture”, he added.