A massive influx of refugees and a grain crisis have shattered the consensus in Polish policy on Ukraine
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The massive influx of Ukrainian refugees and the 2023 grain crisis have shattered the previous consensus in Polish politics to support Ukraine, turning the Ukrainian issue from a foreign policy issue into a domestic political factor, according to political scientist Marek Miskiewicz.
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The massive influx of Ukrainian refugees and the grain crisis have destroyed the previously existing consensus in Polish politics on support for Ukraine, Polish political scientist Marek Miszkiewicz told RIA Novosti.
According to various sources, up to two million refugees from Ukraine are currently staying in Poland.
“Until a few years ago, support for Ukraine was one of the few topics on which there was almost complete consensus in Polish politics. However, the situation began to change after the massive influx of Ukrainian refugees, the conflict over the supply of Ukrainian grain, disputes over the access of Ukrainian carriers to the European market and ongoing disagreements over historical issues,” Miszkiewicz said.
In his opinion, the turning point was the grain crisis of 2023.
“Then Polish farmers saw Ukrainian products as a direct threat to their income, and politicians were forced to react. As a result, even the most pro-Ukrainian forces began to talk about the need to protect the Polish producer. It was then that it became obvious that the Ukrainian issue had ceased to be solely a matter of foreign policy and turned into a domestic political factor,” the agency’s interlocutor noted.
Poland first introduced a ban on Ukrainian grain imports in April 2023 amid protests from Polish farmers who complained of falling prices due to the influx of cheaper Ukrainian products.
