There are farmers' protests in various places in Europe, you can hardly have noticed that. In France and Germany, tax increases were the immediate reason for farmers to take to the streets. In eastern Europe, it is the support for Ukraine that creates an uneven playing field, according to demonstrators. The anger in the agricultural sector runs deeper.
They are almost familiar videos like the one below of farmers taking to the highway with their tractors, blocking roads or protesting near government buildings.
In Germany, the peasantry rebelled against the abolition of tax breaks on diesel, in France it is a combination of complex and contradictory regulations combined with increased taxes and in countries such as Poland and Romania it is the import of cheap agricultural products from Ukraine. In the Netherlands, the reason for the massive demonstrations a few years ago was the nitrogen legislation.
Farmers' demonstrations in themselves are nothing new. What does not happen often is that the protests seem to extend to all corners of the EU. The dissatisfaction often goes further than the immediate cause. Farmers believe that they adhere to the rules and as a reward, extra rules are imposed, while income is also being cut. This is not only the case in agriculture, but also in the transport sector, for example. It is not surprising that transport companies here and there are joining the farmers' protests.
Green Deal is the head of jut
European farmers believe that they are asked to produce at world market prices, but with higher standards with regard to, for example, the environment, animal welfare and climate. The Green Deal is seen as evil, with, for example, discounts on the use of crop protection products and fertilizers. The mandatory set-aside of 4% of the arable land and then also reducing the hectare premium in the new CAP is another measure that has little sympathy. The periods of sky-high inflation in recent years have further undermined the purchasing power of the hectare premium. Demonstrating farmers fear the survival of their business.
Politicians, meanwhile, are struggling with the question of how to put the genie back in the bottle. For example, the German government has significantly toned down its tax increase plans and wants to implement what is left of these plans at a slower pace. German farmer leader Joachim Rukwied said that 'everything that has been promised so far has only made the farmers angrier instead of calming things down'.
In France, Prime Minister Attal promised yesterday (Sunday, January 28) that the French government is considering additional measures against products from other countries with very different production standards. Despite this, 15.000 police officers are on duty today to maintain public order in and around Paris. With little success though.
Polish Prime Minister Tusk is trying to put out the fire by making promises about regulating trade with Ukraine. Even the President of the European Commission Von der Leyen announced that he would consult with European agricultural organizations. According to various political experts, this cannot be completely separated from the elections for the European Parliament in June and the rise of right-wing populist parties in various Member States.
European politicians seem to be taking matters into their own hands, but the language remains very vague and the commitments are not very concrete. In the Netherlands, then Minister Staghouwer was dismissed a year and a half ago after the debacle surrounding his perspective letter and attempts to reach a broadly supported agricultural agreement came to nothing. Seen in this light, the Dutch protests have achieved little. It remains to be seen whether the other protests in Europe will have more effect.