Agriculture Minister Vogel expects a compromise in farmers’ protests – actions in Brandenburg will continue

Against the backdrop of the farmers’ protests, Brandenburg’s Agriculture Minister Axel Vogel (Greens) is confident that the leaders of the traffic light factions will come to a solution with the farmers’ associations.

A compromise will definitely be found at a meeting next Monday, the minister told rbb24 Brandenburg aktuell on Friday evening. The farmers need stable prices because they have been operating at a loss for several years – even if they are now achieving good results.

The federal government has already withdrawn the abolition of the vehicle tax exemption for farmers. Now it’s about the agricultural diesel subsidy, which can only be reduced gradually, says Vogel. At some point there will no longer be any fossil fuels in agriculture, which is why new drives for agricultural vehicles must also be discussed. But there is the possibility of negotiating.

Farmers in Brandenburg protested against the federal government’s austerity plans for the fifth day in a row on Friday and are preparing for a large demonstration in Berlin on Monday. On Friday, around 40 activities were registered, including on the A24 and A19 and in the direction of Poland.

You can also find all developments in our live blog.

In Prignitz, farmers demonstrated with their vehicles in Wittenberge, Bad Wilsnack and Legde, among other places. A roundabout in Herzberg was completely blocked by the protest. The organizers let the police know that they wanted to open the blockade to traffic every two hours. A smaller meeting took place in Meseberg (Oberhavel).

Nine meetings were registered in the east of Brandenburg. One focus was six protests in the Uckermark, said a police spokesman. Traffic disruptions were also expected in the Finow area on Friday due to demonstrations.

In the south of Berlin, the federal highway 101 was closed in both directions between the Teltow/BER exit and Namitzer Damm due to a demonstration by farmers, as the traffic information center announced on X (formerly Twitter).

The farmers’ protests are directed against planned subsidy cuts by the federal government. Accordingly, the tax relief on agricultural diesel should be gradually abolished. The fact that the traffic light coalition has withdrawn part of its cuts plans is not enough for the Federal Farmers’ Association.

Leading members of the traffic light coalition had already signaled to farmer representatives that they were willing to talk. However, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) emphasized that the planned savings in agricultural diesel would remain the same.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) met with the state farmers’ association on the sidelines of a meeting in Cottbus. The President of the Brandenburg Farmers’ Association, Henrik Wendorff, said after the conversation that the Chancellor had not responded to the demand for agricultural diesel. “Instead, he assured that he would increasingly look for ways to provide effective relief for agriculture,” said the association and demanded: “The federal government must rethink and adapt the course of its agricultural policy.”

Also in Cottbus, Brandenburg Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) offered talks to the farmers. “I suggested to the farmers’ association: Next Thursday we’ll sit down together and see what we can do here in the state of Brandenburg,” said Woidke afterwards. Together with other prime ministers, Woidke had so far unsuccessfully called on the federal government to reverse the subsidy cut.

The President of the German Farmers’ Association, Joachim Rukwied, threatened on Wednesday that the protests could continue beyond next Monday if the government does not completely withdraw its plans.

Broadcast: Antenne Brandenburg, January 12, 2024, 10:45 a.m