Farmers all over Europe are protesting against a long list of policy decisions that they feel are contrary to the interests of not only farmers but also to those of the European citizens.

These frustrations came to a head in Brussels, with hundreds of farmers driving their tractors to the EU headquarters in an act of defiance. According to The Guardian, farmers in Europe “face falling sale prices, rising costs, heavy regulation, powerful and domineering retailers, debt, climate change and cheap foreign imports, all within an EU agricultural system based on the premise that ‘bigger is better.’”

It isn’t difficult to see why farmers are angry. EU policymaking has not helped farmers amid deeply complicated times. It must be noted that farmers in each country have slightly different grievances, but there are commonalities to be found among them. For example, POLITICO shows how countries like Poland are primarily concerned with cheap imports (from Ukraine) and EU regulations, whereas countries like Greece are more concerned about high costs and CAP (common agricultural policy) payments. I recommend looking at the POLITICO article for a more comprehensive breakdown.

Moreover, the EU’s decision to import agricultural products from places as far away as Chile and New Zealand and the “wide-ranging trade deal between the EU and South America’s Mercosur trading bloc have been a target of particular anger, with European farmers unhappy at the prospect of unfair competition in sugar, grain and meat.”

It does raise questions, especially with the climate regulations the EU wants to enforce on farmers. How does shipping in products from around the world contribute in any way to helping lessen the impact of climate change? In addition, when product prices are falling for consumers but, at the same time, production prices are rising for farmers, the EU can’t expect farmers to sit back and allow their livelihoods to be taken from them. As a farming state in the U.S., Iowa knows all too well the importance of farming relative to the world economy. Not to mention that farmers are the reason we stay fed.

What does concern me, however, is a European tilt to the far-right come election time in June.

“Right-wingers have latched climate-crisis-denying movements onto the riotous farmers’ actions, seeking to win over a voter base running to nearly 10 million,” Social Europe states.

I am all too aware that center-left and leftist politicians have no one to blame but themselves. In the U.S., it is the same scenario. Liberals cannot seem to fix the problems of ordinary people, thus, voters become desperate (understandably so) and then gravitate toward an equally as fraught right-wing “strongman.”

I know I will receive backlash for this view, but in order to move forward, one must seriously consider the powers at be and their influence on current catastrophes unfolding in front of us. If anyone believes a return to right-wing populist (and possibly fascist) Europe is a good idea, then be my guest. However, history has proven that new paths must be developed for any future success (it would be inappropriate to suggest a return to communism, right?).

One may ask to see the evidence of such a right-wing shift. Once again, Social Europe (who has included other articles for reference) states:

“Giorgia Meloni—whose Fratelli d’Italia has neofascist roots—is prime minister of Italy and Spain’s far-right Vox has the backing of millions of voters. In Greece, the Spartans are on the rise, despite their links to the Nazi Golden Dawn party. The far right is also part of the current coalition in Finland and props up another in Sweden, while in Austria the Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs—which has had close links to Vladimir Putin’s United Russia—is ahead in the polls. In Germany, the neoNazi-linked Alternative für Deutschland is so extreme it is facing calls for it to be outlawed—although this has encouraged its core supporters to be still more truculent.”

Once again, I find myself constantly returning to the “careful what you wish for” idiom.

I understand that desperate times call for desperate measures, and I sympathize with farmers all across the world. They are the backbone and suppliers of society. I just hope these “measures” aren’t the cause of our downfall. We all must hold our politicians accountable so that this desperation doesn’t devolve into something much worse.