The agricultural mobilizations culminate today, with the large rally in Berlin, for which the police expect more than 10,000 participants and at least 5,000 agricultural vehicles. Authorities are warning of the possibility of widespread traffic problems.

The German Farmers Union has been in an “action week” since last Monday, with rallies and blockades across the country, while around 700 tractors and farm trucks have been parked in front of the Brandenburg Gate for a week. The tractors have been arriving in the capital since last night, in order to take part in today’s rally, with the main request being the annulment of the government’s decision to abolish subsidized agricultural oil.

Also for today, the leaders of the parliamentary groups of the government coalition parties (SPD, Greens, FDP) have invited the leadership of the agricultural movement to talks. “We will accept the invitation of the governing coalition – even if it comes too late. But the compromise now on the table means the slow death of the industry,” said Markus Dexler, a spokesman for the Bavarian Farmers’ Union, referring to the government’s proposal to phase out the subsidy rather than all at once.

Chancellor Olaf Solz, who has been heavily criticized for not yet meeting with farmers, held out little hope of further concessions, saying in his weekly video message that the government’s proposal was a “good compromise”, stressing that “subsidies they cannot remain in force indefinitely’.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also criticized the government’s stance, telling the Sueddeutsche Zeitung that “the lack of dialogue between the federal government and the farmers hurts everyone involved.”

Referring to the protests, the president of the German Farmers’ Union, Joachim Ruckwidt, expressed last night on ARD the belief that “70% of Germans support us” and expressed the hope that “common sense will finally return”. Only if politicians back down can further protests be prevented, Mr Rookvid warned.