A group of farmers prevented Germany’s vice-chancellor from stepping off a ferry hours after the government partially abandoned austerity plans, infuriating the farming sector.
The farmers marched to the pier at Schluettsiel on the North Sea coast on Thursday afternoon ahead of the arrival of a ferry carrying Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, a member of the green environmentalist party and minister for economy and climate.
Between 250 and 300 people gathered for the demonstration. Due to the failure of the police to resolve the situation, the ferry departed again. Up to 30 demonstrators tried to board the ship, but the police prevented them with pepper spray.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government angered farmers in December by announcing plans to cut farm subsidies as part of a package of measures to fill a 17-billion-euro ($18.6 billion) hole in the 2024 budget.
On Thursday, the government announced a partial cancellation of the plan. The car tax exemption for farm vehicles will now remain in place, and a planned cut in tax breaks for diesel used in agriculture will be postponed.
The Association of German Farmers immediately said the changes were not enough and both proposals still needed to be cancelled. Association president Joachim Rukwied declared on Friday that “blockades of this kind are a no-go.” He added that “personal attacks, abuse, threats, coercion or violence are just not right” and that his association respected the privacy of politicians.
Habeck expressed regret that it was not possible to speak to the farmers.
What gives me reason for thought and concern is that the mood in the country is getting so heated.
The budget update, which includes cuts, was necessary after Germany’s highest court overturned an earlier decision to divert 60 billion euros (nearly $66 billion) originally earmarked for COVID-19 pandemic mitigation to measures to combat climate change and modernise the country’s economy.
