Thousands of farmers, including Swedes, protested in Brussels on December 18, 2025, against proposed EU cuts to the agricultural budget and the Mercosur trade deal. Swedish LRF members like Palle Borgström and Oona Heske joined the demonstrations during the EU summit. The protests involved around 10,000 participants, with some clashes near the EU parliament.
On Thursday, December 18, 2025, thousands of angry farmers took to the streets of Brussels as EU heads of state and government held a summit on the upcoming long-term budget. Among the protesters were Swedish farmers like Palle Borgström, who joined the barricades. "Farmers have to pay", he said about the EU's policies, which include opposition to the Mercosur free trade agreement.
Oona Heske, 21, from Långserud in Värmland and a member of LRF's youth organization, described the demonstration as historic. "It's an incredible feeling. I feel very proud", she said. Around 10,000 farmers participated in the march against the EU's agricultural budget. The current budget for 2021–2027 amounts to 387 billion euros, but the new proposal for 2028–2034 involves a cut of 87 billion euros, equivalent to about 950 billion Swedish kronor.
"There are many angry farmers here. We believe this will make a difference", Heske said. The protests were largely peaceful where the Swedish participants marched, but near the EU parliament, Belgian police used tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators who had parked tractors. "I've seen some burning, but we don't walk with the tractor drivers", Heske commented. The demonstration aimed to influence decisions on EU agricultural policy during the summit.
