The Bulgarian Farmers Union (BFU) sent out a position to the media regarding the words of Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, who commented on the planned protests by grain producers in Bulgaria.
"We strongly condemn the qualification used by Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov that farmers are terrorists because they stand up for their rights. Protests are a democratic means of expressing a position and protecting interests in every EU member country," the organization wrote in its position. The BFU also recalled that they are also a member of the European agricultural organization Copa-Cogeca.
"For 100 days, the government and the Minister of Agriculture, Kiril Vatev, have refused to talk to the branch organizations about their problems and provision of assistance. There was a complete lack of communication. They decided to sit down at the negotiating table when the time for protests came," commented BFU Chair Georgi Stoyanov. He argued that due to the lack of dialogue, the entire sector is coming together for a general protest.
In front of journalists this morning, Prime Minister Denkov described the grain producers' arguments against lifting the ban on grain imports from Ukraine as completely untenable. "In the last couple of days they started behaving like terrorists. They are using false arguments, making demands – “Make this happen immediately, if you don't we will block the state”. I do not negotiate with terrorists," Denkov said.
Later, the Prime Minister said that he was issuing a second invitation to the representatives of grain producers for a meeting, after the industry rejected the first one. The industry is preparing protests in several places in the country on Monday.
/DT/
