Agriculture Minister Resigns Amid Farmers' Discontent Over Ukrainian Grain Imports

Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk tendered his resignation amid farmers' protests over the influx of Ukrainian grain imports which depressed local prices.

• Kowalczyk told the media that Poland alongside Slovakia, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria filed a request to the European Commission to trigger a protective clause related to the duty-free import of Ukrainian grain, but Brussels decided to extend duty-free imports by another year.
• "Since it is clear that (...) the main demand of farmers will not be met by the European Commission, I have decided to resign as Agriculture Minister, seeing that this main demand of farmers will not be met by the European Commission."
• Polsat News reports that Kowalczyk will likely be replaced by Robert Telus, head of the parliamentary Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.