German farmers continue nationwide protests against diesel subsidy cuts
11th January 2024
German farmers are continuing the national protest in response to a government proposal to revoke key tax privileges.
The week-long strike kicked off on Monday, 8th January, and has been causing severe disruption on roads around the country. More than 500 tractors and lorries parked up by Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
Road blockages are also happening in Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony and Bavaria. Protesters attached banners to their tractors that read, ‘No farmer, no future’ and ‘No beer without farmers’, among other messages.
Plans to abolish tax exemption for farming vehicles
The action has been taken in protest against a government plan to scrap tax breaks on diesel used in agriculture. Farmers argue that the changes, recently made by an emergency reshuffling of the budget, may drive them out of business.
A similar protest took place in December, when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition angered farmers by drawing up plans to abolish a car tax exemption for farming vehicles and the diesel tax breaks.
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