06/01/2024 – 15:16
The fear is that rural producers' irritation with cuts in subsidies is being instrumentalized by the extreme right. Sector pressures government amid Budget crisis. German security authorities accuse right-wing radicals of acting to try to capitalize on farmers' protests against the federal government scheduled for next week.
The conclusion comes from the German Federal Department of Investigation (BKA) and the federal and state bodies for the Protection of the Constitution, cited in a report by the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
The movement would be happening mainly on social media, through messages of solidarity with producers and trying to mobilize them.
It all started when the German government – a coalition between Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals – announced a cut in the subsidy for diesel purchased for agricultural purposes, raising the sector's ire. The measure was an effort to limit spending in light of a decision by the Constitutional Court that changed government spending planning for the year 2024.
After the first protests, Berlin announced the postponement of the end of subsidies until 2026. But this did not alleviate the sector's dissatisfaction. The powerful German Farmers' Association (DBV) has called a strike for next Monday.
The BKA says it has registered several calls for mobilization from the ultra-right, including calls for a “general strike”, “revolt” and “infiltration” of the protests.
Among the political groups involved in the articulations, the police cite the neo-Nazi party “The Third Way” (Der III. Weg), which discusses a possible insurrection by rural producers, and the ultra-rightist – and today widely represented in German politics – Alternative for Germany (AfD), whose members and employees are involved in organizing events and must speak at them. The demonstrations would also have the support of the Querdenker, a movement that rejected health policies to control the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sector representatives say they reject violence and extremist acts
Representatives of producer associations have repeatedly stated that they reject violent and extremist actions.
Last Thursday (04/01), a group of 250 to 300 farmers in the town of Schlüttsiel, on the north coast of Germany, threatened to act with violence to prevent the disembarkation of a ferry on which the Economy Minister and vice-president were. Federal Chancellor of Germany, Robert Habeck, of the Green Party.
The standoff lasted around two hours and Habeck ended up remaining on the boat, which headed back to the German island of Hooge, in the North Sea, where he was vacationing with his family, before returning for a second disembarkation attempt – this one, yes. , successful.
The protesters' actions were heavily criticized, also by DBV, which said it did not support “people who propagate coup fantasies or glorify violence”.
Alice Weidel, leader of the AfD in the Bundestag, the lower house of the German Parliament, accused Habeck of running away from “dialogue” with the protesters.
The Flensburg Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the incident, and the participants may face legal action for coercion and risk to public safety.
German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir warned of the presence of extremists at farmers' protests. Speaking to public TV station ZDF, he accused “people on the very right”, “who dream of overthrowing the government”, of trying to take advantage of legitimate demonstrations. The green politician also defended dialogue and argued that violence needs to be rejected, “otherwise, something here will rot”.
Dissatisfaction continues despite government retreat
With the protests, the government backed away from the abrupt end of diesel subsidies in 2024, proposing instead a gradual reduction until complete extinction in 2026. It also reversed the decision to end tax incentives for the purchase of agricultural machinery. The new measures, however, did not please the sector.
The Minister of Agriculture said he understood the dissatisfaction, but spoke of a “fair measure”. The government listened to the farmers and reacted, according to Özdemir, who criticized the use of violence as a means of putting pressure on politics. “We are not 'blackmailable'.”
President Steinmeier says he is worried
The protesters' action against Habeck was also criticized by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. “Seeing a state minister on a private trip being intimidated by an aggressive crowd and having to take refuge in safety after threats is something that shocked many in our country, including me,” he told the Bild tabloid. “We cannot accept this.”
Steinmeier, who said he was shaken by the episode, expressed concern about the climate that prevails over the country. He urged farmers to protest peacefully and respect laws. “It is legitimate to criticize the government. Incitements to hatred and violence, however, go beyond the limit,” he said. “Whoever acts like this violates the basic rules of our democracy.”
Representative of the police union, Jochen Kopelke warned against a possible escalation of violence in upcoming protests, and asked for support from the political class so that the corporation can act against violent people, removing them from these demonstrations. Kopelke also called on parties in the democratic camp to do more to “prevent ultra-right parties from continuing to strengthen.”
ra (afp, dpa, ots)
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