angry over plan to remove tax benefits, farmers and their tractors block central Berlin

They are mobilizing against the announced end of tax advantages for their profession. Thousands of German farmers on their tractors blocked the center of Berlin on Monday January 15 and promised to remain mobilized as long as the government of Olaf Scholz did not abandon these projects. “The sooner the German government comes up with a solution to withdraw its tax increase plans, the sooner farmers will leave the streets”warned the president of the German Farmers’ Federation, Joachim Rukwied.

“Well over 5,000 tractors” blocked the streets of the capital and sounded their horns, according to police. Some protesters were arrested after setting off firecrackers.

On vehicles parked along the main Unter den Linden avenue, many slogans expressed their distrust against Olaf Scholz’s tripartite coalition, called the “traffic light” because of the colors symbolizing the parties that make it up. “Turn off the traffic light, that’s enough”, was written on one of them. And on another: “The traffic light must clear”.

An unsuccessful meeting with parliamentarians

The reasons for their anger: the announcement in December of a reduction in subsidies to the sector, due to a call to order from constitutional judges on Germany’s strict budgetary rules. Faced with protests, the government coalition backpedaled somewhat at the start of the year. It maintained the tax advantage on vehicles for forestry and agriculture. It also decided to gradually and not suddenly eliminate the advantage for agricultural diesel, “in order to give the companies concerned more time to adapt”.

On Monday, a meeting between representatives of farmers and heads of parliamentary groups of the coalition parties ended without concrete progress.