In Germany, a huge number of angry farmers are protesting against the cancellation of tax exemptions on diesel for the agricultural sector, as well as against the increase in taxes on it. The government intends to use these cancelled funds to cover the budget deficit.
The protests will continue next week, with farmers from Poland, Austria, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic taking part.
Farmers began mobilising and arriving in Berlin a few weeks ago. Since then, the protests and blockades have only intensified.
In a poll conducted by the Yougov Institute, almost one in five respondents (19%) said that they had been “affected in one way or another by the blockades, rallies and tractor marches of German farmers” on 8 January.
As part of the week of action, which runs until 15 January, farmers are protesting against the federal government’s planned subsidy cuts. There are also plans to phase out agricultural diesel tax credits. The fact that the coalition government has gone along with the partial cancellation of its plans to cut benefits has not elicited a favourable response from members of the German Farmers’ Association.
Its head, Joachim Rukwied, told ZDF television’s Morgenmagazin programme that “the German government will not succeed in getting a single tractor off the roads with such half-hearted compromises”. He also expressed satisfaction with the actions in terms of keeping order on the roads. The farmers, however, reserved the right to take further action even after 15 January. Rukwid assured that the protests are in no way directed against the population.
Last Friday a group of the farmers blockaded German Economic Minister Robert Habeck’s ferry as he returned from holiday holiday, preventing the vessel from safely docking. Habeck is a member of the Green party pushing these aggressive climate edicts.
