Thousands of tractors have taken to the streets of Germany to protest the government’s plans to end tax breaks for diesel fuel. The massive demonstration is expected to continue throughout the week.
In December, the German government reached a deal to address the country’s budget crisis, which included the removal of tax breaks on diesel for farmers. This measure, seen as part of a wider budget reform, quickly caused concern, especially in rural areas. In the week following the decision, more than 1,700 tractors gathered at the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin to protest the decision, which farmers said would increase their costs by around €1 billion a year in an already strained sector.
On Monday, farmers in Germany protested again, but this time in larger parts of the country. Tractors blocked major and minor roads in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Bremen, according to The Guardian. More than 2,000 tractors were registered in each of the city center demonstrations, which are expected to continue throughout the week.
– We are exercising our fundamental right to inform society and the political class that Germany needs a competitive agricultural sector, said the head of the German Farmers’ Association, Joachim Rukwied. This is the only way to ensure the availability of high-quality, domestically produced food.
Last week, the government partially backtracked on the scrapped tax breaks, saying that the tax exemption for cars would be maintained and that the cuts to diesel tax breaks would be spread over three years. Farmers, however, argue that this is not enough and that they will still suffer severe losses. For its part, the government points out that it cannot “please everyone”.
– At the end of the day, a government has to decide and take the lead, and it can’t always be to everyone’s satisfaction, said a government spokesman.
