Farmers blocked Bratislava in late February. (source: Sme)
Farmers will continue with their protests across Slovakia. On March 25, they will begin their trip across the country from Gyňov (Košice Region).
During their previous protest, they rode on tractors, but this time, they will ride to Bratislava on horses, the SITA newswire reported.
The aim of the protest is to call on people to sign a petition to recall Agriculture Minister Gabriela Matešná, a nominee of the Slovak National Party (SNS), from her post.
Members of the Initiative of Farmers informed the public about the protest on the evening of March 24 on Facebook.
Matečná’s actions are problematic
“The aim of this protest ride is to call on people to attend the public gathering that will take place on March 29 at 17:00 in front of the Government’s Office,” the initiative informed on Facebook.
The reasons for further protests include Matečná’s actions, as well as Slovakia’s food self-sufficiency.
“Seven of 10 apples are imported to Slovakia,” the farmers said, as quoted by SITA, adding that the country only has 37 percent food self-sufficiency. “The minister doesn’t respect the court's decisions. She covers subvention fraud. During her rule, Slovakia is still at the bottom of EU countries in the production of domestic food. Moreover, the European Commission has said after its December control that the current state in Slovakia does not exist in other countries.”
The farmers from the initiative also say that Matečná was the person who signed dubious agreements with Ľubica Rošková. It happened while she was at the helm of the Slovak Land Fund. As a result, the minister should bear a criminal responsibility for that, they added, as reported by SITA.
