Vacation return
Farmers prevent Robert Habeck from leaving a ferry
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck involuntarily has to spend another night in Hallig Hooge.
© Bernd von Jutrczenka / DPA
The holiday relaxation disappeared even faster than it usually does anyway: Robert Habeck was unable to leave his ferry after returning from Hallig Hooge and had to turn back. Reason: Farmers blocked the investor.
Angry farmers have vice-chancellors Robert Habeck (Greens) prevented from leaving a ferry in Schlüttsiel in Schleswig-Holstein. They blocked the pier, a police spokesman told the DPA news agency. Habeck, who is also the Minister of Economic Affairs, therefore had to return to the Hallig Hooge.
“Security situation did not allow conversation”
A spokeswoman for Habeck told the DPA that the minister was happy to talk to the farmers. “Unfortunately, the security situation did not allow a conversation with all farmers, and the offer made by Minister Habeck to talk to individual farmers was unfortunately not accepted.”
The “Bild” newspaper writes that Habeck was on vacation on Hallig Hooge and even reports of a scuffle in the Schlüttsiel ferry port. The police told the paper: “We were surprised by the protest and had around 30 officers on duty.”
Farmers outraged by Robert Habeck
The farmers are outraged because of the traffic light coalition’s planned reduction in subsidies. On Thursday, the federal government responded to the massive farmers’ protests: The coalition wants to forego the abolition of the vehicle tax exemption for agriculture. The abolition of the tax relief for agricultural diesel is to be extended and implemented in several steps, as the federal government spokesman announced in Berlin. However, the German Farmers’ Association considers the measures to be inadequate – and is sticking to a week of action planned from Monday.
In December, the traffic light government announced billions in cuts in the budget for 2024 as a result of the Federal Constitutional Court’s budget ruling. Some of them met the farmers, who then started major protests and announced further rallies.