Tractors converge on Berlin for farmers' protest

Thousands of farmers and their vehicles are making their way to Berlin from all over Germany in anticipation of a large protest calling for a reconsideration of plans to increase taxes for farmers. Around 3,000 tractors, 2,000 trucks, and 10,000 people are expected to gather around Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on Monday to demonstrate against the government. This protest will mark the culmination of a week of protests that have put pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition as they grapple with budget issues and right-wing opposition.

The government has already conceded to not eliminating a tax rebate on new agricultural vehicles and to phasing out an agricultural diesel subsidy over a number of years in response to the protests. However, many farmers, with the support of the opposition conservatives and far-right, believe these concessions do not go far enough.

“Farmers will die out,” said farmer Karl-Wilhelm Kempner as he made his way to the demonstration. “The population must understand that far more food will be imported if subsidies are not restored.” The government, aware of concerns about escalating political debate and potential violence at demonstrations, has been trying to adopt a conciliatory approach.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner is set to speak at the protest, and coalition party leaders have invited protest leaders for discussions. The disruptions caused by last week’s protests and train strikes have hurt the coalition parties in polls and boosted support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party.

In a video podcast on Saturday, Scholz noted that the government had taken farmers’ demands into account and made compromises. “We’ve taken the farmers’ arguments to heart and revised our proposals. A good compromise,” he said. The government is hoping that these concessions will be enough to satisfy the protesting farmers and defuse the tension surrounding the issue.

(Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Ros Russell)