Unusual images in the center of Berlin: Up to the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column, the historical symbols of the German capital, the procession of hundreds of tractors that crossed central road arteries arrived, to finally stop at the 17th June Avenue. According to the police a total of 6,500 farmers from all over Germany attended. The organizers are talking about at least 8,000 protesters. Demonstrations began on Thursday in the state of Lower Saxony, with tractors even besieging the private home of Miriam Staude, minister of agriculture in the local government of Hanover.

With slogans such as “Enough is enough” and “You have to be hungry to understand us”, farmers are protesting the German government’s recent decision to scrap the state subsidy on agricultural oil, as well as tax exemptions for farm vehicles. It is not the first time that farmers have taken the tractors down the streets of the German capital.

This time, however, they are threatening an unprecedented peak of mobilizations already at the beginning of next year, if the “co-government” insists on the cuts it has announced. “Today we are sending a message to the government,” says the president of the Farmers’ Union, Joachim Ryckvid. “If he doesn’t reverse this decision, from January 8 we will be everywhere, reacting in ways we have never seen before in this country.” However, government spokesman Stephen Hembestright clarified at Monday’s briefing that “the government is determined to implement” the decision on the cuts, which came “after intensive consultation”.

Under discussion again “debt brake»?

Farmers’ representatives estimate that the cuts are close to one billion euros. “Energy taxation alone burdens every agricultural enterprise with 10,000 euros per year,” states the chairman of the Lower Saxony Agricultural Associations, Holger Hennis, to the NDR network. The cuts were deemed necessary after a recent Supreme Constitutional Court ruling overturned the criteria for drawing up the budget, resulting in a funding gap of 17 billion for 2024.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner says he is open to alternative proposals for cuts, but insists that in any case the so-called “debt brake”, enshrined in the German constitution and virtually eliminating the scope for new borrowing, should be applied. On the contrary, the “Green” Minister of Economy and Vice-Chancellor Robert Hambeck argues that “the ‘debt brake’ has been overcome.” Germany must proceed with massive investments if it wants to meet the global competition for the technologies of the future.”

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“Does not agree» the competent minister

The presence of the Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Ezdemir, from the Green Party, in the mobilization of Berlin on the side of the farmers caused a sensation. “I don’t agree with such drastic cuts, that’s why I’m fighting the cabinet,” said the minister, who was interrupted by the protesters every now and then with whistles and … bells.

The opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is also in favor of the farmers. “The government’s decision shows a lack of respect and leads to the demise of many agricultural businesses,” party Secretary General Carsten Linnemann told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

For its part, Greenpeace agrees with the cuts. As a representative of the organization states, “the state subsidy on agricultural oil is costly, harmful to the environment and must be abolished. With so many billions in subsidies already collected by the farmers, they will withstand the removal of the oil subsidy.”

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