According to Bavaria’s SPD leader Florian von Brunn, the CSU and Free Voters are reacting irresponsibly to the farmers’ protests. “It is extremely dangerous for Markus Söder to claim that the form of the protests shows that ‘a very large part of the population has no hope at all of achieving change through normal means’,” said von Brunn on Sunday in Munich. “With such statements, he publicly shows his understanding for violations of the law and promotes conspiracy theories.” The path to change in a democracy is elections and voting in parliament.
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Söder showed fundamental understanding for the protests on Saturday at the start of the CSU winter retreat in the Upper Bavarian monastery of Seeon. However, these would have to take place on the basis of the rule of law. At the same time, he warned that “radical groups like the AfD would try” to exploit the current protests for their own goals. The form of the protests shows that “a very large part of the population has no hope at all of achieving change through normal means.”
Similar to CSU boss Söder, Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) had already made a statement on Friday. “Pursuing a noble goal is not a justification for committing crimes,” said Herrmann at a joint press conference with Bavaria’s farmers’ president Günther Felßner in Nuremberg. Herrmann described the farmers’ political concerns as “more than understandable” and said Bavaria is proud of its farmers. “I can well understand that farmers are coming together to protest,” said the CSU politician. But it cannot be ruled out that extremists are mingling with the farmers; the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is vigilant.
According to a press release, Thorsten Grimm, deputy state chairman of the German Police Union in Bavaria, sees a wave of staff overload facing officers in the coming week. Not every form of protest is permitted. “With all understanding for the political protests that the farmers rightly called for on Monday and next week, many of the actions not only go far beyond the legal point of view, they also pose a danger to traffic and public safety in some cases order,” says Grimm, according to the statement.
Farmers President Felßner showed no willingness to compromise with regard to the federal government’s concessions. The proposals are “out of the question”. The intensity of the protests will increase over the next week. If the federal government does not give in, he did not rule out interventions in the infrastructure or work stoppages that would affect the supply of the population. There will also be blockages on motorway access roads. “We will paralyze Germany if necessary.”
From Monday onwards, farmers across Germany want to oppose the federal government’s austerity plans, which want to abolish agricultural diesel benefits. An action on Thursday evening caused widespread criticism when farmers on the North Sea coast blocked a ferry pier and prevented Federal Economics Minister and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) from going ashore.
Against this background, von Brunn described “the propaganda” of Free Voters leader and Bavaria’s Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger as “particularly dangerous”. On Saturday at the Epiphany meeting in Bad Füssing, he described the farmers’ protests as “political self-defense”. “Aiwanger speaks of self-defense in the face of rioting farmers who threaten the Vice Chancellor. He excuses serious crimes committed by violent demonstrators against a constitutional body,” criticized von Brunn.
Protests probably have an impact on school lessons
The farmers’ protests are also expected to have an impact on school lessons. The Ministry of Culture explained that students could have difficulty getting to class due to road blockades and demonstrations. You are considered excused. “Students who cannot come to school because buses and trains are canceled and have no alternative transportation options can, as an exception, stay away from face-to-face classes,” the ministry announced on its homepage. However, the school must be informed immediately – similar to a sick note.
Depending on the situation on site, other measures are also possible in individual cases, such as distance learning. There is no nationwide regulation. However, the Ministry of Culture assumes that individual schools will make use of it. Where this might be the case is still unclear – especially since it is not known in detail where there will be blockades by farmers, said a spokeswoman.