Moldova Farmers Protest in Several Districts Over Import Licensing

The farmers have remained ‘true to themselves’ – they have taken to the streets in protest. How will the authorities respond?

Protests by agricultural producers are taking place in Moldova. According to observers’ estimates, the protests have spread to between four and six districts. At the very least, farmers have brought agricultural machinery onto the roadside in Fălești, Criuleni, Leova and Cahul. However, farmers from neighbouring districts are also taking part in the protests. According to preliminary estimates by the leadership of the Forța Fermierilor association, at least 100 pieces of heavy agricultural machinery and more than 300 farmers are involved in the protests.

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Logos Press previously reported that the protests were intended as a warning – farmers on the sides of regional roads would await Parliament’s decision on extending the licensing regime for grain and oilseed imports.

Moreover, it emerged the day before that the government had backed this measure, likely under pressure from the country’s political leadership. However, the Forța Fermierilor movement did not call off the protests, nor could it likely have done so, given the ‘intensity of the farmers’ outrage’. The protest is taking place ‘so as not to have to get up twice’. It is no coincidence that, in yesterday’s statement to the media, the leadership of Forța Fermierilor clearly hinted that farmers have many other demands of the Moldovan authorities.

An interesting situation is unfolding. The leadership of the Cabinet of Ministers has unequivocally stated that the extension of the licence for raw material imports is a concession to farmers who are fixated on ‘their own narrow interests’. In other words, they made it clear that the concession was made to preserve fragile social calm (or rather, to prevent latent protest from becoming public – and, moreover, mass protest). But now that the farmers have taken to the roads (that is, have maintained their ‘path of confrontation’), the rejection of the bill proposed by an ‘opposition farmer in the interests of farmers’ will look like ‘petty revenge’ on the part of the ruling party and the government. And, in essence, a sign of weakness.

This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.

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