Rafał Mekler – a Confederate activist and 1 of the leaders of the transport protest, which lasts since 6 November on the Polish-Ukrainian border – in the programme Event guest in Polsat News.
How can we solve the problems of Polish transport?
– It's all about goodwill. If the European Union does not have good will, we have 2 countries whose good neighbourly relations are without doubt. We have spoken to Ukrainians here many times. They themselves agree with us that if it were not for Poland, in those first days of the war, Ukraine might not be in the form it is today. So if we have 2 countries that are able to scope an agreement over Brussels, and I think so, then Brussels has nothing to say really.
– Even these contracts, they were previously bilateral. This increasing appetite for the European Union's next competences has taken distant the right to decide on permits at this border.
If we have 2 countries that have helped each another so much, the issue of permits should not be a problem.
We're not demanding anything extraordinary. Before the war, Ukrainians carried out 160 000 freight. At that point, they made about 1 million transports. So there's something to share.
@MeklerRafal In @PolsatNewsPL live from the border crossing in Dorohusk: We do not request anything extraordinary. Before the war, the Ukrainians carried out 160 000 freight, at which point they carried out about 1 million freight! There's something to share! We just want to get back... pic.twitter.com/MMlX6kAd9K
— Confederation (@CONFEDERATION_) November 27, 2023Ukrainians have closed ports. They say they have a closed Russian marketplace for transport. They have a closed Belarusian marketplace for transport. Therefore, Poland is their only window in the world. We say: This is very good. We, by intercession behind Ukraine, cannot go to Russia either. Neither can we go to Belarus. And to carry out our transport contracts to Kazakhstan, we drive through Turkey. We're in a akin situation. The only difference is that it was the Ukrainians who made a million shipments. Not us.
All we request is simply a return of average relationships to the licensing system. The authorisation strategy is nothing but a method for an equivalent distribution of transport marketplace shares. We are talking about 2 countries with different economical systems, different levels of economical improvement and different labour costs.
In Poland we have the Mobility Package, Poland's Deal, we have a taxation on means of transport. The Ukrainian side doesn't have that. And these disparities in the burden have already regulated permits.
– We spoke to representatives of the European Commission and asked if any analysis had been undertaken, any effort to calculate the costs resulting from the exemption for the Ukrainian side. We heard he didn't. due to the fact that there was a war. That's what we asked, why did you besides fire Moldova from permits? So, as you can see, the situation is more complex.
