Farmers’ President Rukwied Shouts “We Won’t Accept This” at Berlin Rally Against Government’s Plan to Abolish Tax Breaks

“We won’t accept this,” shouts farmers’ president Joachim Rukwied at a rally in Berlin. Thousands of farmers mobilized against the federal government on Monday to protest against the planned abolition of tax breaks. An end to regulations on agricultural diesel and vehicle tax exemption is “a declaration of war” – and this is being accepted.

According to the organizers, 8,000 to 10,000 people took part in the demonstration at the Brandenburg Gate, and thousands of tractors rolled into the capital. According to police, more than 1,500 tractors blocked the Straße des 17. Juni at the Brandenburg Gate. Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) expressed understanding for the discontent and promised further discussions in the government.

Özdemir doesn’t want it either – but he gets booed

Rukwied has already threatened larger protests in January if the “unreasonable proposals” are not completely withdrawn. “Then from January 8th we will be present everywhere in a way that the country has never experienced before.” With the coalition plans, the industry would be burdened with an additional billion euros per year. “It’s enough, too much is too much,” shouted the farmers’ president. He called on Özdemir to now put pressure on the government for farmers and rural areas.

The minister said at the rally: “I know that you came to Berlin with great anger.” It is clear that after the Federal Constitutional Court’s budget ruling, more savings need to be made – but not disproportionately in agriculture. “I don’t believe in the cuts to this extent,” emphasized Özdemir. “That’s why I’m fighting in the cabinet to ensure that this severity doesn’t happen.” The speech was interrupted several times by whistles and shouts. Rukwied called for respect and asked to listen to the minister. Özdemir spoke out against derogatory statements.

The farmers’ association nationwide also called for the demonstration through its state farmers’ associations. Banners read: “The traffic lights have to go,” “It’s enough,” “Tractors instead of tanks” and “You are sacrificing green meadows, cattle and fields for tax money.” So far, farms have been able to get a partial refund of the energy tax for diesel. The remuneration is 21.48 cents per liter – the tax rate for agricultural diesel is then 25.56 cents per liter compared to the full tax rate of 47.04 cents. Companies must submit applications for reimbursement to the customs administration. In addition, agricultural and forestry vehicles are exempt from vehicle tax.

In BR24live, the economist at the Leibniz Center for European Economic Research, Prof. Friedrich Heinemann, and the Bavarian Agriculture Minister Michaela Kaniber (CSU) expressed their opposition to the traffic light government’s plans to cut agricultural subsidies.

Economist Heinemann: Abolition of subsidies is overdue

According to Heinemann, savings are being made in the right places: “These are subsidies that have been a nuisance for decades. They are not targeted.” In addition, other subsidies that farmers receive are increasingly geared towards environmental protection and climate protection, Heinemann continued. “And then it is absurd to pay subsidies at the national level that make fossil inputs cheaper than they otherwise are.” It was long overdue to rethink these subsidies.

He is also sure that security of supply in Germany and Europe will not be affected by this: “The size of the subsidy is far too small. In addition, the farmers have had very good years in recent years. There have been “High prices as a result of the Ukraine crisis. German profits have increased. This is actually a good phase to collect such subsidies now.” Heinemann believes that the government’s backtracking would be bad: “Germany has many tasks and challenges and it cannot be that we let the biggest tractors roll into Berlin to the sectors where the interest groups are shouting loudest and that we continue to specifically give them gifts .”

Kaniber against the removal of agricultural subsidies

The Bavarian Agriculture Minister Michaela Kaniber (CSU), on the other hand, is clearly behind the farmers: “By canceling this rebate, farms will be missing an average of 4,000 euros. If the companies are slightly larger, you can see a loss of up to 10,000 euros. And The fact is that our farmers are also struggling with increased costs. So the production costs keep rising. Then this money is also cut off from them. That means that food also becomes more expensive.” The big fear is that consumers will increasingly turn to cheap products from abroad and that German overproduction of food will disappear completely, explains Kaniber.

2023-12-18 17:40:34
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