Editorial: Sowing discontent

"We are not against the EU. We only want to be considered partners, and not be used as a 40-million (person) market for Western production surplus."

So Andrzej Lepper told the WBJ a few weeks after winning a seat in Parliament under the banner of his Self-Defense (SO) party. In fact, it would seem that Lepper is a closet fan of the European Union - it provides a rationale for attention-grabbing demonstrations and populist ranting and raving. Last week, Lepper led a group of farmers through the Agriculture Ministry's doors and occupied the building's lobby, demanding a meeting with Minister Jarosław Kalinowski. Lepper and his minions said they wanted to talk about falling food prices and demanded government support. The demonstration was not explicitly anti-EU, but the oft-arrested politician promised more action to come.

What does it all mean? As Poland looks to wrap up sensitive talks with the EU on agriculture and financial aid, such sideshows can be distracting. They can also undermine support for joining the political and economic bloc - Lepper's party is getting more popular, according to polls. And ultimately, Poland has no choice but to join the EU. Staying outside of the club while neighbors join up is unthinkable; skipping the necessary economic reforms would be damaging. Poland would suddenly be classed with other also-rans, such as Ukraine, Romania or Bulgaria. And history shows that going it alone, or allied with weak neighbors, has never been in Poland's best interests. But the EU and the government are not blameless in attracting such unwanted attention. The EU is a daunting bureaucracy that demands reforms and changes that its own members fail to carry out. It is offering Polish agriculture an uneven playing field - EU farmers will get heavy subsidies while the Poles get a tithe. Farmers, from big successful agribusiness to tiny operators, are right to be concerned. About one quarter of all workers are involved in farming - they don't deserve to be written off. And until the EU and the Polish government can adequately address some of their concerns, protests and populist-politician popularity are sure to mount.

Which brings us back to Lepper, a truly interesting case. No one really knows what his views are. He just wants power and for now the EU is an easy target and farmers a vulnerable constituency. This is why he is dangerous, especially in a situation with mass unemployment and feeble political elites. At one point, Prime Minister Leszek Miller and his Democratic Left Alliance (SLD)-led government wooed the well-tanned former farmer, making him a deputy speaker in Parliament and helping to legitimize his party. And the government tends to react indecisively to his antics, whether on the Sejm's floor or in the streets. At some level, Miller may enjoy Lepper's games - they help make SLD look moderate and help distract attention from other opposition parties. But SLD needs to answer legitimate agriculture sector concerns quickly and effectively. If the party can take care of that job, Lepper may be left without one of his own.