With the submission of a resolution proposal by the parties of the government coalition (SPD, Greens, FDP) to support farmers, but without any change regarding the phasing out of the rural diesel subsidythe debate in the federal parliament on agricultural policy ended on Thursday. Farmers express their dissatisfaction and warn of new mobilizations from Monday.

Speaking from the floor of the Bundestag, Agriculture Minister Cem Etcdemir called for cross-party solutions to achieve a better result in the agricultural production sector. “We now have the opportunity to work together constructively to ensure that German agriculture has a future. Farmers can protect the climate, nature and animals and at the same time produce high quality food. But someone will have to pay for the effort”, the minister said and emphasized above all the need to ensure reliable financing for the conversion of stables, in order for livestock to guarantee the well-being of animals and to strengthen the position of farmers in the chain up to the retail sale. He even added that a relevant investigation should be assigned to the Federal Anti-Cartel Office.

In the resolution submitted by the three parliamentary groups, there is still talk of red tape reduction and for “political commitment to register concrete projects in the first quarter of 2024which will give security and relief to agricultural planning and to adopt the appropriate measures until the summer”.

“The government rules against the people,” replied Christian Democratic Party (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz, taking the floor immediately afterwards. Mr. Mertz argued that the majority does not support either the government’s agricultural or fiscal policy and that in this way “confidence in state institutions is increasingly at risk” and called on Chancellor Olaf Solz to deal “urgently and with great care’ with the farmers’ protests and the people’s reaction. “Come to terms with your politics, before a part of our country already this year becomes ungovernable,” he said, indirectly referring to the possibility of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) prevailing in state elections held within the year. Regarding the protests in particular, Friedrich Merz spoke of an “expression of discontent and frustration” and “protest of the entire German countryside”.

The president of the German Farmers’ Union, Joachim Ruckvid, appeared dissatisfied with the development of the debate in the Bundestagand warned again that if the planned cuts to the rural diesel subsidy were not reversed, there would be “new, widespread” protests from next Monday. “The protests so far have only been demonstrations,” Mr. Rookvid said. “If something doesn’t change, there could be an explosion. From next Monday, we will continue with actions throughout the Federal Republic”he emphasized, with an eye on tonight’s meeting of the Budget Committee of the Bundestag, during which issues of budget strength in relation to agricultural requests will be raised.

Farmers are on standby and for mobilizations during the international exhibition “Green Week”which opens its doors in Berlin on Friday.