Protesting farmers taunt Olaf Scholz, your approach to subsidy is lazy

 

Admin I Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024

BERLIN – The German Farmers’ Association is calling for a solution in parliament to end the ongoing protests against the reduction of agricultural diesel subsidies.

“A lazy compromise, as is currently on the table, cannot be a solution – because it won’t get any tractors off the road,” German Farmers’ Association President Joachim Rukwied told dpa ahead of the centre-left SPD party’s closed meeting on Thursday.

“It is now up to the federal government and the parliamentary groups in the Bundestag to put an end to these protests,” said Rukwied.

“We are calling on the parliamentary groups to discuss intensively how the competitiveness of agriculture can be maintained and how the protests can be ended,” he said.

Farmers across Germany are putting pressure on the ruling coalition government to further soften its already watered down plans this week, with campaigns to disrupt motorways and cities.

The federal government is planning to phase out the tax relief on agricultural diesel, which has been in place for more than 70 years, gradually over three years rather than abolishing it all at once.

The coalition had completely withdrawn a planned cancellation of the motor vehicle tax exemption for farmers. The plans initiated by the cabinet will now be submitted to the Bundestag for parliamentary deliberations.

In another development, Chancellor Olaf Scholz was greeted by furious farmers when he opened a new high-speed train plant in Cottbus in eastern Germany on Thursday, as meetings were set in parliament to address the outrage in the agricultural sector.

The protesters oppose the government’s plans to phase out diesel fuel subsidies for farmers in order to help fill a gaping hole in the federal budget.

Scholz’s three-way coalition triggered a storm of protest from farmers that hasn’t stopped even with some government concessions.

A week of action, involving tractors blocking some entrance and exit ramps to motorways as well as farmers protesting with their tractors in Berlin and other cities, has snarled traffic in many areas.

In an effort to ease tensions, the parliamentary groups of the coalition parties invited eight agriculture associations for talks in Berlin on Monday.

“We are living in agitated times, we have heard a bit of that,” said Scholz on Thursday at the opening of a new railway plant for high-speed ICE trains in Cottbus. “And that’s also part of democracy, that you speak your mind.”

The police had previously led a convoy of tractors past the hall of the plant. Loud honking could be heard.

The Working Group of Rural Agriculture (AbL) welcomed the talks. Chairman Martin Schulz called on the government and the parliamentary group leaders to “finally turn the tide in agricultural policy.”

Another group, the Farmers’ Association, said it is still not satisfied with the government’s mitigation of subsidy cuts. President Joachim Rukwied is counting on the upcoming parliamentary meetings.

“It is now up to the federal government and the parliamentary groups in the Bundestag to put an end to these protests,” he told dpa.

“A lazy compromise, as is currently on the table, cannot be a solution – because it won’t get any tractors off the road.” The parliamentary groups would now have to discuss intensively “how the competitiveness of agriculture can be maintained and how the protests can be ended.”

Farmers across Germany are putting pressure on the ruling coalition government to further soften its already watered down plans this week, with campaigns to disrupt motorways and cities.

The federal government is planning to phase out the tax relief on agricultural diesel, which has been in place for more than 70 years, gradually over three years rather than abolishing it all at once, as had been the plan.

The coalition also completely withdrew a planned cancellation of the motor vehicle tax exemption for farmers.